A heatwave sweeping across Europe is forecast to produce record-breaking temperatures throughout the coming week.
In France, highs of 40C are expected today, with Monday likely to be even more intense as emergency services and military units have been placed on wildfire alert, reports RTE.
Half of France is to be placed under red alert tomorrow, the government confirmed, with the highest heat warning to be issued for 49 of France’s 96 mainland departments, while a further 40 departments will be under orange alert, according to Meteo-France.
The forecaster said an extension of the red heatwave warning was possible for Monday in some departments currently under orange alert, reports RTE.
The heatwave is expected to produce peak temperatures of 42C.
Meanwhile, the head of SNCF, the French state-owned railway operator, advised vulnerable people against travelling by train during the heatwave, reports RTE.
“We recommend the most vulnerable people postpone their trip or at least avoid taking the train during this heatwave,” Jean Castex told reporters.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu also pre-emptively banned alcohol consumption at the annual Fete de la Musique festivals and other public events to be held in 35 regions today, though authorities in Paris ordered parks to remain open around the clock, reports RTE.
An extreme heat warning has been extended in the UK as record high temperatures of 38C are being forecast.
The UK Met Office said the heat could last until at least Thursday, sparking weather warnings, health alerts and concerns for vulnerable people, reports RTE.
Forecasters said there is “growing confidence” this week could break the record for the hottest UK June temperature of 35.6C, set in 1976 in Southampton.
The coming days will see humid conditions and potentially tropical nights, when the overnight temperature does not fall below 20C, making it feel “muggier” than last month’s heatwave, the Met Office said, reports RTE.
On Sunday, an amber extreme heat warning was expanded to run from Monday until Thursday.
The alert flags potential health impacts for people vulnerable to extreme heat, as well as possible increases in water safety incidents, reports RTE.
Monday and Tuesday’s warning covers most of southern England, central and eastern Wales, and much of the Midlands, while Wednesday and Thursday’s alert also includes parts of Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and Cheshire.
Substantial changes to working and daily routines will likely be required, and disruptions to road, air and rail travel should be expected, according to the weather service, reports RTE.
Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: “Everybody will feel this because it will be very hot and the overnight temperatures, in particular, will mean that people won’t be getting as much sleep, probably, as they would usually do, so it will affect everyone.
“There’s also potential for impacts to transport as well. We know that when things get very warm, there can sometimes be issues with railway lines, and even the possibility that some roads might not be doing too well,” reports RTE.
Separate amber heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency now cover most of England from Monday morning until Friday night, with a yellow heat alert also in place for north-east England during the same period.
Tourists and locals in Madrid struggled to cope with temperatures reaching up to 40C today as the first official heatwave of 2026 took hold, reports RTE.
The public screening in Madrid of the national football team’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia was cancelled because of the extreme heat forecast for the capital.
AEMET, the state-run weather forecaster, said 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the Basque Country is on red alert, the highest level, with the heatwave expected to continue until Thursday and temperatures forecast to reach 44C in some areas, reports RTE.
The weather agency warned of temperatures exceeding 39 to 40C across large parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Mallorca.
In Germany, organisers suspended the final of the Berlin Open tennis tournament and cleared everyone from the venue due to “severe weather conditions,” with the mercury in the German capital topping 30C across the weekend and storms sweeping across much of the region today, reports RTE.
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