Severe Heatwave Batters Europe, Shutting Reactor and Triggering Deaths and Disruptions

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used a speech in London to describe Europe as “boiling” and warned of “a story of two crises,” climate and energy, both rooted in fossil-fuel dependence. Much of the continent is now enduring one of the broadest and most intense heatwaves in decades, with extreme temperatures straining infrastructure and disrupting daily life.

France is the epicenter of the crisis. Meteorologists say the country is entering one of its most exceptional heat events on record, with Tuesday through Thursday likely to rank among the hottest days ever measured there. Temperatures in many areas are expected to reach 42 to 43 degrees Celsius, and overnight from Monday to Tuesday France set a new national high for average night temperature at 21.6 degrees, surpassing records dating to 1947. EDF shut Reactor 2 at the Golfech nuclear plant after the Garonne River became too warm for cooling, and warned other facilities may also need to cut output. More than 50 departments are on the highest alert, thousands of schools have closed or changed schedules, rail lines have been canceled, and emergency meetings have been held. Reuters said at least 40 people have died in recent days, mostly young people who drowned while trying to cool off in rivers and canals, and two small children were found dead in a hot car.

Spain is also under severe strain, with red alerts in place around Cordoba in the south, Bilbao in the north, and parts of Cantabria. The Basque Country could see 40 degrees, while Andujar in the south has already recorded more than 45 degrees. Most of Spain is under orange or red warnings, and Madrid has opened cooling centers for vulnerable residents.

Britain issued a rare red heat warning, only the second ever, as temperatures approach 39 degrees and could break the June record. England recorded more than 29,000 lightning strikes in one day, bringing flash floods, rail disruption, and transport problems in London. RAC said vehicle breakdowns are up 10 percent from normal, with more expected. Poland is bracing for 38 degrees in Warsaw and 41 in Silesia, possibly topping both the 2019 June record and the national heat record from 1921. Italy has maximum heat alerts in 15 cities, Germany has national warnings, and Belgium has moved exams into churches and air-conditioned buildings.

The heat is also driving an energy crisis, as demand for air conditioning rises while weak winds curb wind-power generation. The French reactor shutdown worsened supply pressures, sending electricity prices to winter-like levels, the highest in Germany since 2024 and in France since 2023. Experts say an Omega Block high-pressure system is trapping hot air over western and central Europe, and the World Meteorological Organization says Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average.