PARIS, France (AFP) — The United Nations (UN) climate chief said Wednesday that a record-breaking early heatwave scorching a swathe of western Europe was “a brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis”.

The United Kingdom (UK) and France have reported their hottest ever May days this week as a “heat dome” brought sizzling temperatures more typical of midsummer to western Europe.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said the “main culprit” was humanity’s burning of coal, oil and gas — the primary driver of climate change.