BERLIN — Record-breaking temperatures spread across central and eastern Europe on Saturday, shattering national June records, disrupting transport networks, straining hospitals, and prompting fresh warnings over the growing impact of climate change.
Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Denmark all recorded their hottest June temperatures on record as the heatwave that gripped western Europe earlier this week moved eastward.
Denmark’s Meteorological Institute recorded a national record of 37°C in Ødum, north of Aarhus, marking the country’s hottest day since records began in 1874. Switzerland registered 38.8°C in the city of Basel, while the Czech Republic recorded a provisional high of 40.8°C in Doksany.
Germany was expected to approach 40°C, with extreme heat causing sections of the Autobahn to buckle near Berlin, forcing road closures. National rail operator Deutsche Bahn advised against non-essential travel, warning that record temperatures were severely affecting transport infrastructure.
The heat also forced the evacuation of dozens of residents from a nursing home in the western German city of Dormagen after indoor temperatures reached 35°C. One resident died overnight, although authorities had not determined whether the death was heat-related.
France remained under severe heat warnings despite temperatures beginning to ease in some regions. Paris and 36 surrounding departments stayed under the highest-level heat alert as hospitals continued to experience heavy demand. Public hospitals in the capital activated emergency response plans after nearly 3,000 people sought treatment in emergency departments for a second consecutive day.
Health concerns prompted the postponement of the Paris Pride march and the cancellation of a major three-day music festival.
French health officials warned that the current heatwave could result in significant fatalities, although they said they do not expect mortality to reach the level of the deadly 2003 heatwave, which claimed about 15,000 lives in France.
In the United Kingdom, authorities confirmed Friday as the hottest June day on record after temperatures reached a provisional 37.3°C in eastern England. Police said two more people—a 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy—died after entering open water, bringing the week’s heat-related death toll in the UK to four.
Italy also remained under extreme heat, with the Health Ministry placing 18 cities, including Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Bologna, under the highest-level heat alert.
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said the unprecedented temperatures would have been virtually impossible without climate change, concluding that such extreme heat is now around 200 times more likely than it was just two decades ago.COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago said the heatwave underscores the urgency of global climate action, describing the extreme temperatures affecting Europe as a powerful reminder of the need to accelerate efforts to tackle climate change.
Source: Saudi Gazette