Hell in Europe: Hottest June Day in History in Germany and UK, Concerts Canceled, Death Toll Rises

Photo: Christophe Ena / AP

Several countries across the continent recorded the hottest June days in history: such records were set in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In the UK, new June temperature records have been set for the third day in a row, writes the BBC.

In Germany, the highest temperature in history was recorded in the city of Saarbrücken in the southwest of the country (it is located near the French border). There, on Friday, the thermometer rose to 41.3 degrees Celsius.

In neighboring France, peak temperatures, as in the UK, were recorded for three days in a row. Although the heat there has probably already reached its maximum, Health Minister Stéphanie Ries stated that many people are dying from the heat in their homes.

Clare Nullis, an official representative of the World Meteorological Organization, warned that such weather "very strongly affects" people's health, ecosystems, agriculture, and the situation in workplaces. "Unfortunately, we will have to get used to this," she noted.

Heatwave moving to Eastern Europe

On Friday, the heatwave in Europe began to move north and east across the continent.

Belgian meteorologists unofficially confirmed that a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius was recorded in the town of Kleine-Brogel near the Dutch border. In the southeastern province of Limburg in the Netherlands, it was 39.4 degrees. Meanwhile, in the UK on Friday, the hottest place was Suffolk county: 37.3 degrees. This is another broken June temperature record, which had stood for 50 years until this year.

Due to the heat, many trains were canceled on Friday, about 600 schools were closed, and six regional branches of the National Health System reported a critical situation and a large number of patients. The number of ambulance calls in London increased by 50% due to the heat.

According to AFP, on Friday, at least 150 million people on the European continent experienced temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.

Meteorologists in the Czech Republic believe that the record of 40.4 degrees, set in 2012, could be broken on Saturday. Their colleagues in Austria predict a new temperature record on Sunday.

Record heat is also observed in the Balkans: in Serbia, up to 39 degrees are expected over the weekend.

In Switzerland, the Beznau nuclear power plant was disconnected from the national power grid because the water temperature in the Aare River, used for cooling, reached 25 degrees. This is considered too high a value for effective reactor cooling.

Europe is becoming the most affected

According to specialists from the international scientific consortium World Weather Attribution, temperatures in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and southern England exceed normal seasonal indicators by 5–12 degrees Celsius. The cause was an area of high atmospheric pressure.

The consortium found that June temperatures are rising faster than in other months of the year, and the current heatwave has become "the most extreme ever recorded."

Climate change is leading to a global increase in temperatures, but this is especially true for Europe. According to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, the continent is warming twice as fast as the global average.

Due to the intense heat, a Eurostar train traveling from Cologne to Paris broke down on Friday morning: it stopped east of Brussels. There were about 400 passengers on the train, three were hospitalized as a precautionary measure, according to the Belga agency.

In Paris, two large-scale public events scheduled for the weekend were canceled. Local authorities stated that hospitals are overcrowded and resources should be directed to helping the most vulnerable.

Among the canceled events are the Paris Pride (LGBT community parade), which was postponed to September, as well as the Solidays music festival. Another event – the athletics competition at the 'Stade Charlety' stadium – will take place on Sunday, but later, during cooler hours.

In the Netherlands, spectators had already arrived at the Defqon.1 festival, but it was canceled after a red alert was announced. After this, riots broke out, which the police had to quell.

In Germany, many events have also been canceled, including the Hamburg half-marathon.

Deaths in France and Spain

France's Health Minister warned that the extreme heat would lead to deaths. Authorities have prepared emergency plans for all hospitals in Paris and the surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, an 18-month-old child found in a car died in Marseille. This is not the only such case: previously, children died in similar circumstances in France.

Since the start of the heatwave, 55 people have also drowned in France, two-thirds of them in unsupervised locations.

In Spain, 327 people died from high temperatures between Sunday and Thursday, with most deaths occurring in the last few days. However, the heat there has already begun to subside.

Meanwhile, scientists in Switzerland warn that by Monday, the entire winter ice reserve could melt, after which the glaciers themselves will begin to melt. This usually happens in August, but now the process is much faster – as in 2022, when up to 6% of the glacier volume was lost.

In Belarus, yesterday's maximum temperature was almost +31°C in the vicinity of Brest and in Kobryn.

Павялічыць

But the peak heat will fall on the weekend and Monday. Today, up to +35°C is expected in the Brest region, and up to +29°C in Minsk.

In the Brest region, temperatures could reach up to +39°C on Monday, and up to +35°C in Minsk. The country has declared the highest red alert level.

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