Heatwave Grips Europe, Setting Records in Britain, France and Germany

Europe continues to suffer from a severe heatwave that began on Saturday and is moving eastward. Britain has broken its June temperature record repeatedly within hours for a third straight day, while France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and other countries have also faced shutdowns, warnings and disruptions. Scientists say the system is a rare “Omega block” that has pushed temperatures as much as 18 degrees above average and may be the most extreme heatwave ever measured in Europe.

France remains the hardest hit. Paris hit 40.9 degrees on Wednesday, a June record, and police asked organizers to cancel major events, including the Solidays music festival and the Pride festival, which will be rescheduled. A ban on drinking alcohol in public spaces took effect in Paris from Friday afternoon, and sales of alcohol were also restricted later in the day. French doctors reported a surge in emergency calls, and emergency physician Patrick Plo said Paris recorded 55 deaths in 24 hours, compared with the usual three or four. Hours later, an 18-month-old boy died after being found in a car with heatstroke at Timone Hospital in Marseille. Earlier in the week, two children died after being trapped in a car, and another three-year-old child died near Paris.

The heat also caused infrastructure damage and transport problems across the continent. In Germany, the A2 motorway surface warped and cracked, and the country logged a new June record of 40.9 degrees in Saarbrücken, with 147 weather stations setting June records. In Sweden, a freight train derailed because tracks warped, stopping service between Stockholm and Gothenburg. Belgium canceled a planned reenactment of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, while Austria warned that rail lines could deform and Vienna may reach 40 degrees. The Dutch government issued a red alert for nearly the entire country and closed many schools.

Britain’s Met Office extended its red heat warning over much of southern and eastern England for a third consecutive day, and the June record was broken three times in hours in Suffolk, reaching 37.1 degrees. Hundreds of schools stayed shut, London emergency calls rose 50%, and police said a boy died after entering a lake in central England. Hospitals are also under strain, with British doctors warning that the heat is affecting critical equipment such as MRI scanners and cancer machines. Across Europe, demand for fans and portable air conditioners has surged, while experts say the current heatwave would be nearly impossible without human-caused climate change.