A brutal heatwave is sweeping across Western Europe, causing widespread power outages in France and forcing hundreds of schools to close in the UK. According to experts, this extreme weather event stems from atmospheric patterns and circulation that trap hot air for days, with temperatures rising steadily due to human-induced climate change.
France’s national heat index — the average of day and night temperatures at 30 measuring stations — reached 29.8°C on Tuesday, the highest since records began in 1947. A heat-related fault at a transformer in the northwestern Finistère department left around 68,000 households without power. Authorities said that despite repair teams working through the night, full restoration is not expected before the end of Wednesday. At its peak, up to 106,000 customers on the French grid were affected as extreme temperatures strained infrastructure built before climate change made heatwaves longer, more frequent, and more intense.
Demand for fans and air conditioners has surged in France, where most buildings are not designed to withstand such extremes. An additional 31 departments have been placed on orange alert, with over 90% of the population affected by temperatures of 39–41°C expected from Brittany to Paris and much of the southwest on Wednesday.
In the UK, the Met Office issued heat warnings for Wednesday and Thursday, predicting that the all-time June daytime temperature record could be broken. Temperatures are forecast to reach around 37°C in southern England and 35°C in southeast Wales. The peak of the heatwave is expected on Wednesday and Thursday, with highs potentially hitting 39°C in London or southern England. Hundreds of schools have planned closures or early releases, while many train services have reduced frequency to avoid track issues. Conditions are expected to ease by Friday.
Italy is also heavily affected, with the Health Ministry declaring a red alert for 16 cities, including Milan and Rome. The heatwave is forecast to extend into Eastern Europe in the coming days. Poland’s weather service has issued high-temperature warnings for the west from Thursday to Saturday, with potential to break the 1921 record of 40.2°C. Croatia’s famous Adriatic coast is on red alert for Friday and Saturday, and Hungary, already under a level two heat warning, announced it would raise the alert to the maximum from Saturday to Tuesday.
In contrast, Spain may begin to cool on Wednesday, as the State Meteorological Agency forecasts temperature drops in most areas. By Wednesday afternoon, only parts of the Basque Country in the north remain on red alert. However, there are no signs of rapid cooling elsewhere in Western Europe. From Wednesday to at least Friday, central and southern Netherlands are at orange level for extreme heat, while Belgium has placed the entire country under an orange heat alert from Thursday ahead of a potentially record-breaking heatwave.
