Europe Heatwave Kills Dozens, Melts Highways as 150 Million Face 35°C+ Scorcher

A brutal heatwave has gripped Europe, breaking temperature records in multiple countries and causing widespread death and disruption. France recorded its hottest day and night ever, while the UK smashed its June record three days in a row, reaching 37.3°C in eastern England [183604]. Switzerland set a new national record of 38.8°C in Basel, and the Czech Republic saw its hottest day on record at 40.6°C [183604]. The Danish Meteorological Institute reported a new record of 37°C in Ødum, the warmest day there since records began in 1874 [183604].

The extreme heat has been deadly. Reports from France say dozens of people have drowned while trying to cool off [180410]. In the Paris public hospital authority, nearly 3,000 patients were treated in 24 hours — over a third more than normal — and phone calls to medical dispatch centers were up nearly 80% compared to the same period in 2025 [183604]. The number of heart attacks and other acute health emergencies in France has multiplied [182595]. In Germany, a nursing home in the city of Dormagen had to be evacuated after temperatures inside reached 35°C, and a resident died overnight, though the cause was not yet confirmed [183604]. In the UK, police recovered the body of a 22-year-old man from a river after he got into difficulty in the water [183604].

Infrastructure across the continent has buckled under the strain. In Germany, the concrete of the A2 highway near Berlin burst due to the heat, forcing a closure, and other road damage was reported across the country [183604]. Train operator Deutsche Bahn advised against all non-essential travel this weekend [183604]. In the UK, a temporary hosepipe ban was announced in Kent as the region faced growing strain from the heatwave [181773]. Temperatures knocked out power for tens of thousands of people [181598].

On Friday, 150 million Europeans were expected to experience temperatures above 35°C, according to AFP [182519]. Red weather warnings for extreme heat were issued across more than a dozen European countries, including large parts of France, Germany, and Croatia [182519]. In Italy, 18 cities, including Venice, Florence, Bologna, and Milan, remained under red heat alerts [183604].

A new study from the World Weather Attribution group labeled the heatwave the "most severe" ever recorded on the continent and found that the record-breaking heat and humidity would not have been possible without climate change. The study found the heat is 200 times more likely today than it was 20 years ago [183604]. Researchers warned that "a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels is critical if we are to avoid even higher temperatures" [182315].