Europe is experiencing one of the most devastating heatwaves in recorded history. The extreme heat engulfed much of the continent in late June 2026, with at least 40 deaths in France, widespread school closures, and disrupted rail services. In Germany and the Czech Republic, trains were cancelled; in the UK, East Surrey Hospital restricted admissions to life-threatening cases only; Italy saw rolling blackouts; and Belgium and the Netherlands reported a 20% increase in ambulance calls.
The situation is most severe in France. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu declared the highest red health alert across 58 departments. Temperatures reached 44°C in Nantes and 43°C in Bordeaux. Over 68,000 households lost power due to equipment overheating. The Louvre and Eiffel Tower reduced operating hours, and schools closed en masse.
In the UK, the June temperature record was broken three times in one day, peaking at 36.1°C in Gosport, surpassing the previous record of 35.6°C set in 1976. A red alert is in effect, London's ambulance service reports record call volumes, and over 1,000 schools have closed or shortened their day.
Italy has declared red alerts in 16 cities, including Rome, Milan, Turin, Venice, and Bologna. Widespread air conditioner use has caused power outages, and hospitals report a surge in admissions.
In Germany, temperatures are expected to approach 40°C nationwide by the weekend. Berlin hit 34°C on Thursday, Hamburg cancelled its half-marathon, and Deutsche Bahn allowed passengers to reschedule trips for free.
The Czech Republic also warned of extreme heat, with temperatures nearing 40°C by the weekend and rail services advising against non-essential travel. Vienna expects nearly 40°C, while Luxembourg set a new June record of 38.3°C.
Paris police prefect Patrice For warned that hospitals in the capital are nearing capacity. From Friday, the sale and consumption of alcohol in public places has been banned to reduce health risks during the extreme heat.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Europe is warming roughly twice as fast as the global average. Experts from ClimaMeter and World Weather Attribution (WWA) found that human-induced global warming increased the temperature of this heatwave by about 2–4°C. The immediate cause is a 'heat dome' – a powerful anticyclone acting as a lid over the region, trapping hot air.
WWA researchers describe the heatwave as unprecedented for Europe. If similar weather had occurred in 1976, daytime temperatures would have been about 3.5°C lower. The likelihood of such extremely warm nights has increased more than 100-fold compared to 2003.
Amid escalating climate anomalies, UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented a plan for accelerated clean energy transition at the London Climate Action Week. He called for ending subsidies for new fossil fuel projects, taxing energy companies' windfall profits to support affected communities, and requiring major AI companies to disclose the environmental footprint of their data centers.
Source: podrobno.uz