Europe Hit by Record Heatwave: Temperatures Exceed +40 Degrees
From Scandinavia to the Alps, residents of Europe suffered from exhausting heat on June 27, as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths spread eastward, setting new temperature records. In some areas, air temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, Reuters reports.
Previous absolute temperature records were recorded on Saturday in Germany, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, as well as a new June record set in Switzerland. Earlier this week, similar records were broken in France and the United Kingdom.
Scientists stated that this suffocating heatwave would have been practically impossible without anthropogenic climate change.
"This heat is not pleasant summer weather. It is a health crisis," wrote Katrin Göring-Eckardt, a member of the German federal parliament and former co-chair of the Green Party parliamentary group, on social media platform X.
In Berlin, where temperatures reached 39°C on Saturday, police even deployed two water cannon vehicles to lightly spray people with water and help them cool down.
According to the German Meteorological Service, a new preliminary national record of 41.5°C was recorded in Meckern-Drewitz in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. It surpassed the 41.3°C record set just the day before near Saarbrücken on the border with France.
The Danish Meteorological Institute reported a temperature of 37°C north of the city of Aarhus — the highest ever recorded since observations began in 1874.
In the Czech Republic, specialists from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute recorded a record 40.9°C north of Prague.
In the Slovak capital Bratislava, the hottest night in the history of observations was registered on Friday.
Almost the entire country of Germany was under extreme heat warnings. As the heatwave moved eastward, temperatures significantly exceeded 30°C across almost all of Poland.
Warming of the Danube River forced the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary to reduce the output of one of its reactors. Earlier, the Swiss Beznau nuclear power plant temporarily shut down its reactors due to high water temperatures in the Aare River.
In France, dozens of people of various ages have already died due to the heat. Temperatures above 40°C disrupted railway transport and the energy system, led to a ban on alcohol sales, suspension of school classes, and postponement of outdoor mass events.
The Italian Ministry of Health declared the highest — red — level of heat danger in 18 cities, including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence, and Bologna.
The water level in the Po River sharply dropped, allowing seawater to advance far inland. This poses a threat to agriculture and the ecosystem of Italy's most important water artery.
Even at night, the heat in the Alps barely subsided. In Bolzano, in Italy's South Tyrol, temperatures did not fall below 25.4°C, setting a June record, reported city meteorologist Dieter Peterlin. Environmentalists express concern about the condition of European glaciers.
In Paris, due to forecasted bad weather, authorities decided to close parks, gardens, and the swimming area on the Saint-Martin Canal early.
Across Europe, cultural landmarks had to be closed due to the heat, the agricultural sector suffered significant losses, and some hospitals operated at the limits of their capacity.
According to Reuters Climate Monitor, temperatures significantly exceeded seasonal norms due to an atmospheric phenomenon known as the "Omega block." This weather pattern holds a mass of hot air over certain regions for an extended period, while cooler air remains only on its periphery.
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