Europe Reels Under Severe Heatwave as Deaths Mount

A severe heatwave is blanketing large parts of Europe, with temperatures soaring close to June records. Authorities have issued heat alerts across the region, warning of risks to health, transport networks, and public services.

France is among the hardest-hit countries, recording its hottest day in history with a national average temperature of 29.8°C (85.6°F), surpassing the record set in 2019. In one town, temperatures exceeded 44°C (111°F).

The heat has proven deadly. At least 40 people have drowned since last Thursday, and French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu attributed the spike to soaring temperatures as people sought to cool off. Three elderly people also died from heat-related causes near Bordeaux, and two children, aged 2 and 4, were found dead in a hot car in southern France.

In Spain, a 90-year-old woman is believed to have died from heatstroke at a nursing home near Bilbao, and a 68-year-old man in Almeria succumbed to the same cause. Many others have been hospitalized across Europe.

Public services and infrastructure are under severe strain. In the UK, temperatures are forecast to exceed 38°C (100°F), prompting a rare red alert from the Met Office. Hundreds of schools have closed, and people are advised to avoid unnecessary rail travel due to fears of transport disruptions and pressure on energy and water supplies. Spain recorded temperatures above 45°C (113°F) in the south, with most of the territory under heat warnings.

Scientists warn that Europe is particularly vulnerable because much of its infrastructure and housing was not designed to withstand prolonged heat. Only about 20% of European homes have air conditioning, and buildings in northern countries are often designed to retain heat rather than dissipate it.

The direct cause of the heatwave is a heat dome, a vast area of high pressure covering Western Europe. This phenomenon is sustained by an omega block, a weather pattern that distorts the jet stream, trapping hot air over the same area for days or weeks.

Experts stress that climate change is significantly increasing the frequency and severity of heatwaves. According to Laurie Parsons, a lecturer in Human Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, the global average temperature is now about 1.25°C higher than in pre-industrial times, and heatwaves like the current one are about 30 times more likely than before climate change. Such an extreme event might have occurred once every 300 years in the past, but now happens more than once a decade.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that “temperatures are rising in Europe at almost twice the global average rate, increasing the likelihood and severity of future extreme heatwaves.” He called on leaders to prioritize investment in climate-resilient health systems and accelerate climate action.

The heatwave coincides with London Climate Action Week, one of the world's largest annual climate conferences. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged faster action to reduce fossil fuel use, stating that “the climate crisis and the energy crisis may seem separate, but they share a destructive root: fossil fuels.”