Europe continues to bake under heat wave that has killed dozens, disrupted power

Britain and Switzerland both hit a record high temperature for June on Thursday as large parts of Western Europe remained in the grip of a deadly early summer heatwave that has killed dozens of people, disrupted power supplies, and shut schools and cultural landmarks.

French and British authorities warned busy people to adapt their daily routines to avoid the risk of overheating. France activated its highest level of health service mobilization, meaning non-urgent operations could be canceled to focus on caring for those affected by the hot weather.

Paris endured another sweltering day after temperatures in the French capital hit a June record of 40.9 degrees Celsius (105.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday.

Switzerland registered its hottest ever June temperature on Thursday, with 38C measured in the northern city of Basel, breaking a previous record of 36.9C set eight decades ago, the Swiss weather service said.

Temperatures reached 36.4 C in southwest England on Thursday, provisionally making it the hottest June day recorded in Britain, surpassing a record set just a day earlier, the Met Office said on X. Britain’s Met Office extended a red heat alert covering a large area into Friday, the first time such warnings have been issued for three days in a row.

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“Significant disruption to daily life is likely and the public should take every effort to adapt their daily routines to cope with these levels of heat, which up to now have been extremely rare for the UK,” said Andy Page, a chief meteorologist at the Met Office.

The extreme conditions across much of Europe have come in June, earlier in the summer than is usual. Records are tumbling by day and by night. Add in the humidity and it’s more tropical than temperate. The heat is coming up from north Africa and affecting Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK — most of them without widespread air conditioning and unused to such oppressive heat.

Conditions are expected to ease in coming days, though July and August, the traditional height of the European summer, are still to come.

The Netherlands on Thursday issued its first-ever red alert for heat for Friday, warning of “dangerous” conditions.

“The situation is dangerous; follow the guidance from the government and emergency services,” it said. The red alert covers eight of the country’s 12 provinces, while the northern region and southern province of Zeeland will remain on orange alert.

At least 48 people have died in France from drowning since the start of the heatwave while trying to cool off, authorities said, and three young children are known to have been killed by heat in cars in two separate incidents.

Since the end of last week, more than 20 people across Germany have lost their lives in swimming-related accidents, the German Life Saving Association said in a statement to Reuters.

In Italy, media reported that five people had died on Wednesday from heat-related incidents.

Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, and warn they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.

London’s ambulance service said Thursday it had recorded its highest ever number of “life-threatening emergencies” in one day because of “extreme heat” across Britain’s capital. On Wednesday, the service responded to 642 “category one” calls, which include the most serious illnesses, such as cardiac arrests and patients who are not breathing.

French teaching unions called for a strike to protest “unacceptable working conditions” as the heatwave shatters temperature records in the country.

“The health of staff and pupils, as well as their working conditions, are being put at risk,” the unions said in a joint statement, denouncing a “clear lack of preparation” for heatwaves.

France’s electricity utility EDF shut down two more nuclear reactors — bringing the total to three — as extreme heat raised river temperatures and restricted the plants’ ability to discharge cooling water without exceeding environmental limits designed to protect plant and animal life.

Switzerland said it was reducing operations at its Beznau nuclear power plant and would shut down reactors if the heat persisted, giving similar reasons.

The heatwave could be linked to 212 deaths in Spain between Sunday and Wednesday, according to estimates from the MoMo monitoring system, which compiles daily death statistics and compares them with historical records.

In Germany, open-air sports events have been canceled due to the high temperatures, with most of the country facing highs of 35 to 41C.

Experts say the current German record for June of 39.6C, recorded in 2019 in Saxony-Anhalt state, could easily be broken over the weekend.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn warned customers not to travel because of the risk of delays and disruption from wildfires and thunderstorms.

Belgium issued a rare “red alert” for extreme heat on Thursday amid a days-long heatwave which has raised concerns about milk and meat production as livestock such as cows and pigs struggle with the scorching weather.

Flemish farming association Boerenbond expects the heatwave to reduce both milk and meat production, though it is too early to give precise figures, a spokesperson said.

The Flemish agriculture ministry said the heatwave across much of Europe was affecting mainly livestock farmers, as recent rainfall meant drought was not yet a major concern for crop producers.