From Scandinavia to the Alps, Europeans endured sweltering conditions as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths spread eastwards, with record-breaking temperatures surpassing 40C in some locations.
Britain, France, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark have all experienced record heat in June, and the weather system could test more records as it rolls across Germany towards Poland, reports RTE.
Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change, which has made this week’s night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago.
“The heatwave is going to peak at the weekend at well over 40C in some parts of Germany,” said Karsten Brandt, a meteorologist at weather forecasting site Donnerwetter.de, reports RTE.
Germany hit a record 41.5C today according to provisional data, marking a new all-time high.
The reading was recorded at the Drewitz station in eastern Germany, breaking the previous record of 41.3C set just a day earlier in Saarbruecken in the southwest, reports RTE.
Denmark also recorded its highest temperature on record today, the Danish Meteorological Institute said.
“With 36.6C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since measurements began in 1874,” DMI said in a post to X, adding that “the day isn’t over yet,” reports RTE.
The previous record temperature in the Scandinavian country was 36.4C, recorded in August 1975.
The Czech Republic also marked a new temperature record at 40.6C, recorded at a weather station in Doksany north of Prague, beating a previous record of 40.4C set in 2012 in Dobrichovice southwest of Prague, reports RTE.
The national meteorological service issued extreme heat warnings for nearly all of Germany as authorities urged people to save water.
It said temperatures of 36C were expected across the board in the country, with local highs of 42C possible, reports RTE.
In France, dozens of people both young and old have died during the heatwave.
Temperatures above 40C have disrupted rail travel and power generation, sparked alcohol bans, suspended schools and postponed outdoor events, reports RTE.
Italy’s health ministry issued a red alert for the heatwave in 18 Italian cities including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna for the weekend, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 39C in some areas.
TheLiberal.ie won’t quit
Please support us with a small donation on PayPal!
Italian singer Loredana Berte said she had cancelled a concert scheduled for tomorrow in the northern city of Bergamo due to the heat on the advice of her management and medical staff, reports RTE.
Yesterday was the warmest June night on record in Bolzano in the Italian Alps, with overnight temperatures not dipping below 25.4C, the city’s meteorologist said.
The French prime minister’s office said that although the heatwave is moving on, pressure on the healthcare system would persist and hospitalisations would remain high for several days, reports RTE.
Reports of wildfires in France are up compared to the same period last year due to the heatwave, officials said.
German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn gave customers the option of cancelling long-distance travel bookings into early next week without charge, with the firm saying its infrastructure was under particular strain because of sun exposure and additional risk to signals, tracks and overhead wires from thunderstorms and wildfires, reports RTE.
Another operator, National Express, said it would suspend trains on its Rhine-Ruhr-Express line on Saturday afternoon in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, as a preventative measure.
Near Hamburg, the main traffic lane on part of the A7 autobahn, one of Germany’s busiest motorways, was closed after the heat caused the asphalt to split, reports RTE.
In Switzerland, the Lausanne Pride march was due to go ahead despite forecast temperatures of up to 33C, with extra water fountains and first responders being put in place to help address any heat-related issues.
The start of the Milan Pride march was delayed until 5pm to avoid the worst of the heat, and the Ironman European Championship triathlon in Frankfurt shortened its cycling and running courses because of the conditions, reports RTE.
Andre Berghegger, CEO of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, urged the public to use water sparingly.
“We should rely on voluntary cooperation as long as possible; local authorities should only issue bans if that doesn’t work,” he told a German newspaper, reports RTE.
The most extreme heat is forecast to begin fading at the weekend, with heavy thunderstorms expected tomorrow.
Across Europe, cultural landmarks have had to close, farming has suffered, and some hospitals have struggled to cope, reports RTE.
The heatwave has pushed temperatures up to 18C above their seasonal average according to the Reuters Climate Monitor, driven by a phenomenon known as an Omega block, a weather pattern that traps a bulging mass of hot air over regions for extended periods with cooler air on its fringes.
Demand for electric fans has shot up and Asian air conditioning makers have reported a European sales boom, with most housing stock in Northern Europe built to retain heat rather than withstand it, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
