Europe sizzles under heatwave with little relief in sight

Published June 22, 2026last updated June 22, 2026Germany, France, the UK and other European countries are witnessing scorching temperatures with it likely not cooling down until the weekend or next week. DW has the latest.

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Europe endures dayslong heatwave with temperatures to exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit)

Two children discovered dead in car in France during scorching temperatures

Britain's Met Office issues rare red warning for heat starting Wednesday, with London and Birmingham affected

Follow along for more through the day and this week for the latest developments on the June 2026 European heatwave:

Skip next section Britain's Met Office issues rare red warning, London and Birmingham affected June 22, 2026

Britain's Met Office issues rare red warning, London and Birmingham affected

Britain's top meteorological authority, the Met Office, has issued a red warning for extreme heat for parts of central and southern England and Wales.

The warning will last from 09:00 on Wednesday, June 24 to 21:00 on Thursday, June 25.

The warning includes not only the major cities of London and Birmingham but also the historic town of Bath.

"It is now likely the current highest temperature on record for June will be broken, this being 35.6C recorded in Southampton in June 1976 and Camden Square in June 1957," the forecaster said.

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Skip next section Two children found dead in car in sweltering southern France June 22, 2026

Two children found dead in car in sweltering southern France

Two children aged 2 and 4 were found dead in a car in the southern town of Carpentras, with investigators suspecting the deaths are the result of the heatwave.

"The causes of death are yet to be determined, but the heatwave is the leading line of inquiry," said Helene Mourges, the Carpentras prosecutor.

Temperatures on Monday were expected to hit as high as 38 degrees Celsius (101 degrees Fahrenheit) in Carpentras.

French authorities have warned parents not to leave their children in unattended vehicles.

Hottest-ever June night in Paris

Much of France is under the "red alert" for heat, with temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius forecast for some regions.

Meteo France said several towns in western and central France experienced their hottest night ever Sunday to Monday.

Paris experienced its hottest-ever night for June, with the temperature not dropping below 24.2 C (75.5 F).

The French capital broke another June record with 37.7 C (99.9 F) recorded Monday afternoon.

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Skip next section What's the latest on the European heatwave? June 22, 2026

What's the latest on the European heatwave?

Here's a short summary in bullet points of the latest on Monday as Europe bakes under a heatwave:

Europe is currently under a high-pressure system known as a 'heat dome,' that keeps hot air in place

Parts of Germany are seeing high temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit)

In France, two children died in a car in the southern town of Carpentras, where temperatures had been expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius

French forecasters have warned this year's scorching temperatures could be as serious as the 2003 heatwave, where 15,000 people in France died

The UK's top meteorological authority issued the highest level of heat warming for parts of central and southern England for Wednesday and Thursday

Parts of northern Portugal are under orange weather alerts due to high temperatures

How to survive heat waves in the city

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Skip next section Welcome to our coverage June 22, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Europeans this week are suffering under a scorching "heat dome," with some parts of the continent not expected to see relief until next Monday.

Follow along with DW this week as we look at how the heatwave is impacting people in Europe and society.

Many Europeans, particularly in the northern part of the continent, do not have air conditioning in their homes, making the heat phenomenon even more unbearable and in some cases deadly.

Stay tuned for more!

Summer Solstice brings intense heat wave to Europe

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