Europe's heatwave shifts east as France raises health alert to highest level
Image source, Annice Lyn/Getty Images
People cool off beneath a misting station in Paris
ByPaul KirbyEurope digital editorLaura Gozzi and Bethany BellIn Leipzig
Heatwave conditions that have left Spain, France and the UK sweltering for days are set to shift to the east, with forecasters in Germany and the Czech Republic warning of extreme conditions.
Temperatures in Germany could hit 40C in some western and south-western areas on Thursday, and across the country on Friday. An extreme weather warning is now in place in much of the Czech Republic.
In France, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the health alert level is being raised to its highest, to boost hospital staffing and protect the vulnerable.
Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said they were now seeing deaths linked to the extreme temperatures among "young people who suffer cardiac arrests", as well as the elderly.
United Nations climate change chief Simon Stiell has said "Europe's savage heatwave has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it", and he has called for "a faster shift to renewables, protecting forests and boosting climate resilience".
After France recorded its hottest day on Wednesday for the second day in a row, records continue to be broken. Météo-France said the average minimum temperature reached 22C on Wednesday night. Nantes saw 27.2C in the north-west.
Image source, European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery
This Sentinel-3 satellite image shows land surface temperatures across France on Tuesday
After days of high temperatures in Paris, the health minister said the ambulance service in Paris had seen four times more cardiac arrests than normal over a 24-hour period, although she stressed there were no confirmed figures for the number of deaths linked to the heatwave.
Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said the mortality rate was on the rise in the capital.
"We must not believe ourselves to be invulnerable," he told French TV. "I am thinking especially about the youth... At about 19:30 last night... I saw 100 or so joggers on the street. Frankly, that's irresponsible."
"It's fine to take a couple of days off from exercising," he added.
Image source, Getty Images
The mayor of Paris asked people to put off exercise for a few days while the city is under a red alert
Meanwhile, a three-year-old child has been found dead in a car in the Paris region, days after two young children were found dead in the family's car in the southern town of Carpentras.
In the north-western city of Rennes, the head of the Accident and Emergency department Professor Louis Soulas linked the deaths of five or six people in their homes in the region to the extreme temperatures.
Emergency services had gone to check in on them after they had failed to pick up their phones during welfare calls, said Soulas: "It's not just the very elderly; it's people aged 60 and up."
Rennes saw a record 40.6C on Monday, only for that to be broken by 41C the following day. The previous record dated back to 2022.
The region's intensive care units were "saturated," he warned. "We are truly at a peak of activity."
Sébastien Lecornu said France's Orsan health emergency plan was now moving to level three so the health system could "withstand the strain over time and protect the most vulnerable".
French teachers' unions are calling for a strike in response to "unacceptable working conditions" in the heat. They said that despite having called for mitigation measures to be taken "nothing was done" and the "health of staff, students and their working conditions are being jeopardised".
Three nuclear plants in France have gone offline due to the heat.
Some western regions are now bracing for huge thunderstorms from Thursday afternoon onwards.
Gusts of up to 110km/h (68mph) are expected on France's Atlantic coast, and the first day of the Garorock festival has been cancelled in the Lot-et-Garonne region - where temperatures could reach 42C.
Image source, Getty Images
Temperatures in Italy are yet to peak, with over 40C expected on Monday
Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world - but particularly in Europe. It is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.
This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe's water supply, and more intense wildfires. Last year, more than 1 million hectares burnt across Europe - a record level - with Spain particularly affected.
Although temperatures in Spain are set to peak at 38-39C in some areas on Thursday, forecasters say a cooler mass of Atlantic air is coming in, after the highest June temperatures were recorded this week, with 45.1C in the southern town of Andújar on Monday.
Spain's MoMo monitoring system for reporting temperature-related deaths, external has counted 213 fatalities between Sunday and Wednesday that could be linked to the heat, including 95 on Wednesday alone.
Image source, Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP via Getty Images
In Germany, overnight temperatures in the southwestern town of Bad Bergzabern did not fall below 26.2C on Wednesday night, equalling a national heat record set in 2019.
Germany's DWD weather service said large areas of the country were experiencing "heat stress" and DWD meteorologist Oliver Reuter said it was "quite likely" the heatwave would ultimately be seen as historic.
Luxembourg recorded its highest June temperature of 38.3C in Wormeldingen on Wednesday. A red alert level for "extreme thermal stress" has been extended in the grand duchy until Saturday night.
In Germany, Hamburg's half marathon has been cancelled on Sunday and national train operator Deutsche Bahn is offering free ticket cancellations over the next few days for anyone not wishing to travel because of the extreme heat. Czech Railways have told passengers they should consider postponing their trips if they do not have to travel.
Much of northern and southern Switzerland was put on maximum weather alert by MeteoSuisse, which warned of a "significant drought situation".
Temperatures across the Czech Republic were well into the 30s on Thursday and the ČHMÚ Hydrometeorological Institute said the heat would intensify , externalon Friday with temperatures climbing up to 40C at the weekend.
Image source, Czech hydrometeorological institute
Much of the Czech Republic is described as facing extreme weather conditions
Weekend temperatures could also hit 40C in the Austrian capital Vienna, and a code red comes into effect in eight out of 12 provinces in the Netherlands from midnight on Thursday local time, with the chance of 39C in localised eastern areas.
The UK's Met Office has extended its red extreme temperatures warning until Friday evening, for parts of London and south-eastern England.
In Italy, Florence's Uffizi museum has halted ticket sales until 28 June, and only those with a previous booking will be allowed in.
Management said the air conditioning system could not cope with the high flow of visitors and the extreme temperatures, which reached 32C inside the museum on Wednesday.
Italians have been experiencing high temperatures since the start of this week - but the peak of the heat is expected for Monday, when 40C are expected in various northern regions.
Night-time temperatures in those areas might not drop below 29C.
"Gone are last century's June days of 32C daytime temperatures and cool 17C nights," forecaster Lorenzo Tedici told Italian media.
"We have become so accustomed to excess that, paradoxically, today we welcome a forecast of 34C as good news."
A sustained period of extreme heat is moving across Europe from west to east. France has activated its highest-level health alert after recording record temperatures and documenting deaths among young and elderly populations. Germany and the Czech Republic face peak conditions on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures forecast to reach 40°C in multiple regions. Health systems are under strain: Paris ambulances handled four times normal cardiac arrest calls; Rennes intensive care units are at capacity. Spain has documented 213 heat-related deaths through official monitoring. Infrastructure responses include nuclear plant shutdowns, cancelled transport and events, and museum closures due to cooling system limits. Multiple countries have issued red-alert weather warnings. The broader climate context: Europe warms at double the global average rate, making intense summer heatwaves increasingly common. Cooler Atlantic air is forecast to arrive in Spain by Thursday, and thunderstorms are expected in France.
Image source, Annice Lyn/Getty Images
People cool off beneath a misting station in Paris
ByPaul KirbyEurope digital editorLaura Gozzi and Bethany BellIn Leipzig
Heatwave conditions that have left Spain, France and the UK sweltering for days are set to shift to the east, with forecasters in Germany and the Czech Republic warning of extreme conditions.
Temperatures in Germany could hit 40C in some western and south-western areas on Thursday, and across the country on Friday. An extreme weather warning is now in place in much of the Czech Republic.
In France, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the health alert level is being raised to its highest, to boost hospital staffing and protect the vulnerable.
Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said they were now seeing deaths linked to the extreme temperatures among "young people who suffer cardiac arrests", as well as the elderly.
United Nations climate change chief Simon Stiell has said "Europe's savage heatwave has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it", and he has called for "a faster shift to renewables, protecting forests and boosting climate resilience".
After France recorded its hottest day on Wednesday for the second day in a row, records continue to be broken. Météo-France said the average minimum temperature reached 22C on Wednesday night. Nantes saw 27.2C in the north-west.
Image source, European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery
This Sentinel-3 satellite image shows land surface temperatures across France on Tuesday
After days of high temperatures in Paris, the health minister said the ambulance service in Paris had seen four times more cardiac arrests than normal over a 24-hour period, although she stressed there were no confirmed figures for the number of deaths linked to the heatwave.
Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said the mortality rate was on the rise in the capital.
"We must not believe ourselves to be invulnerable," he told French TV. "I am thinking especially about the youth... At about 19:30 last night... I saw 100 or so joggers on the street. Frankly, that's irresponsible."
"It's fine to take a couple of days off from exercising," he added.
Image source, Getty Images
The mayor of Paris asked people to put off exercise for a few days while the city is under a red alert
Meanwhile, a three-year-old child has been found dead in a car in the Paris region, days after two young children were found dead in the family's car in the southern town of Carpentras.
In the north-western city of Rennes, the head of the Accident and Emergency department Professor Louis Soulas linked the deaths of five or six people in their homes in the region to the extreme temperatures.
Emergency services had gone to check in on them after they had failed to pick up their phones during welfare calls, said Soulas: "It's not just the very elderly; it's people aged 60 and up."
Rennes saw a record 40.6C on Monday, only for that to be broken by 41C the following day. The previous record dated back to 2022.
The region's intensive care units were "saturated," he warned. "We are truly at a peak of activity."
Sébastien Lecornu said France's Orsan health emergency plan was now moving to level three so the health system could "withstand the strain over time and protect the most vulnerable".
French teachers' unions are calling for a strike in response to "unacceptable working conditions" in the heat. They said that despite having called for mitigation measures to be taken "nothing was done" and the "health of staff, students and their working conditions are being jeopardised".
Three nuclear plants in France have gone offline due to the heat.
Some western regions are now bracing for huge thunderstorms from Thursday afternoon onwards.
Gusts of up to 110km/h (68mph) are expected on France's Atlantic coast, and the first day of the Garorock festival has been cancelled in the Lot-et-Garonne region - where temperatures could reach 42C.
Image source, Getty Images
Temperatures in Italy are yet to peak, with over 40C expected on Monday
Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world - but particularly in Europe. It is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.
This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe's water supply, and more intense wildfires. Last year, more than 1 million hectares burnt across Europe - a record level - with Spain particularly affected.
Although temperatures in Spain are set to peak at 38-39C in some areas on Thursday, forecasters say a cooler mass of Atlantic air is coming in, after the highest June temperatures were recorded this week, with 45.1C in the southern town of Andújar on Monday.
Spain's MoMo monitoring system for reporting temperature-related deaths, external has counted 213 fatalities between Sunday and Wednesday that could be linked to the heat, including 95 on Wednesday alone.
Image source, Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP via Getty Images
In Germany, overnight temperatures in the southwestern town of Bad Bergzabern did not fall below 26.2C on Wednesday night, equalling a national heat record set in 2019.
Germany's DWD weather service said large areas of the country were experiencing "heat stress" and DWD meteorologist Oliver Reuter said it was "quite likely" the heatwave would ultimately be seen as historic.
Luxembourg recorded its highest June temperature of 38.3C in Wormeldingen on Wednesday. A red alert level for "extreme thermal stress" has been extended in the grand duchy until Saturday night.
In Germany, Hamburg's half marathon has been cancelled on Sunday and national train operator Deutsche Bahn is offering free ticket cancellations over the next few days for anyone not wishing to travel because of the extreme heat. Czech Railways have told passengers they should consider postponing their trips if they do not have to travel.
Much of northern and southern Switzerland was put on maximum weather alert by MeteoSuisse, which warned of a "significant drought situation".
Temperatures across the Czech Republic were well into the 30s on Thursday and the ČHMÚ Hydrometeorological Institute said the heat would intensify , externalon Friday with temperatures climbing up to 40C at the weekend.
Image source, Czech hydrometeorological institute
Much of the Czech Republic is described as facing extreme weather conditions
Weekend temperatures could also hit 40C in the Austrian capital Vienna, and a code red comes into effect in eight out of 12 provinces in the Netherlands from midnight on Thursday local time, with the chance of 39C in localised eastern areas.
The UK's Met Office has extended its red extreme temperatures warning until Friday evening, for parts of London and south-eastern England.
In Italy, Florence's Uffizi museum has halted ticket sales until 28 June, and only those with a previous booking will be allowed in.
Management said the air conditioning system could not cope with the high flow of visitors and the extreme temperatures, which reached 32C inside the museum on Wednesday.
Italians have been experiencing high temperatures since the start of this week - but the peak of the heat is expected for Monday, when 40C are expected in various northern regions.
Night-time temperatures in those areas might not drop below 29C.
"Gone are last century's June days of 32C daytime temperatures and cool 17C nights," forecaster Lorenzo Tedici told Italian media.
"We have become so accustomed to excess that, paradoxically, today we welcome a forecast of 34C as good news."
A heatwave has affected Spain, France, and the UK for several days and is now shifting toward Germany, the Czech Republic, and other central European countries. France recorded its hottest day on Wednesday for the second consecutive day, with record average minimum temperatures. France has raised its health alert to the highest level. Health authorities have documented deaths linked to extreme heat, including among young people experiencing cardiac arrests and individuals aged 60 and older found dead in their homes. Paris ambulances experienced four times the normal number of cardiac arrests in a 24-hour period, though no official death toll has been confirmed. Spain's heat-monitoring system counted 213 heat-related deaths between Sunday and Wednesday. Temperatures in Germany are expected to reach 40°C in western and south-western areas on Thursday and across the country on Friday. Germany recorded overnight temperatures of 26.2°C in Bad Bergzabern, equalling a 2019 national record. The Czech Republic has issued an extreme weather warning with temperatures forecast to reach 40°C by the weekend. Multiple countries including Luxembourg, Austria, and the Netherlands have issued red-alert warnings. Three nuclear plants in France have gone offline due to heat. Hamburg's half marathon has been cancelled, and Deutsche Bahn is offering free ticket cancellations. Florence's Uffizi museum halted ticket sales due to air conditioning system limits. Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service. Europe's heatwave has 'the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it.' The Paris mayor characterised recreational exercise during the heat alert as irresponsible. A German meteorologist said it was 'quite likely' the heatwave would be viewed as historic. An Italian forecaster framed the shift from 32°C daytime and 17°C night temperatures to current extremes as evidence that people have become 'accustomed to excess.'
- A severe heatwave affecting western Europe is shifting eastward, with France raising its health alert to the highest level due to confirmed heat-related deaths across multiple age groups
- Germany and Czech Republic are now bracing for extreme conditions, with temperatures expected to reach 40°C or higher; other central European countries have issued red alerts
- Heat-related mortality has been documented in Spain (213 deaths linked), France (cardiac arrests and home deaths), and other regions; infrastructure strain includes hospital saturation, nuclear plant shutdowns, and event cancellations
- Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, with this heatwave part of an established pattern of increasing summer temperatures and extreme weather events