People cool off in the Trocadero Fountain next to the Eiffel Tower as temperatures rise during a heatwave affecting a large part of the country, Paris, France, June 22, 2026. (Reuters)
Europe swelters under extreme heatwave as records, deaths and disruption mount
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- Europe faces record-breaking heatwave with rising deaths, emergency alerts, and widespread disruption across the continent.
Europe is grappling with a severe heatwave that has shattered temperature records, strained public services, and triggered widespread health and safety warnings across multiple countries.
Scientists say recurring heatwaves are a clear indicator of global warming, warning that such extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense as global temperatures rise.
In France, the government announced €50 million ($57 million) in emergency funding for retirement homes to install cooling systems, according to disabilities minister Camille Galliard-Minier. The country is also facing growing social disruption, with teaching unions calling for strike action over “unacceptable working conditions,” citing a lack of preparation for extreme heat.
France’s energy system has also been affected, with state utility EDF shutting down additional nuclear reactors after high river temperatures limited cooling capacity. Swiss authorities have taken similar steps, reducing output at the Beznau nuclear plant.
The heat has also turned deadly. In France, a three-year-old boy died after becoming trapped inside a car in the Paris suburbs, the third such child death reported during the current heatwave. In Spain, estimates from the MoMo monitoring system suggest the extreme temperatures may be linked to 212 deaths between Sunday and Wednesday.
Elsewhere, the Netherlands issued its first-ever red heat alert, warning of potentially dangerous conditions as temperatures approach 40C in some areas. “The situation is dangerous; follow the guidance from the government and emergency services,” the national weather institute said.
Switzerland recorded its hottest June temperature on record, reaching 38C in Basel, surpassing a 36.9C record set more than 80 years ago. Slovakia also issued top-level heat warnings, with temperatures in the southwest expected to reach 38C on Saturday.
In the United Kingdom, London’s ambulance service reported its highest ever number of “life-threatening emergencies” in a single day, recording 642 critical calls on Wednesday amid extreme heat.
The heatwave is placing immense pressure on infrastructure and public health systems. More than 101 million people across Europe are expected to experience temperatures above 35C, including tens of millions in France and Germany, according to AFP estimates.
The United Nations has blamed fossil fuel emissions for intensifying the crisis. UN climate chief Simon Stiell said the heatwave is “the latest price to pay for fossil fuel pollution baking our planet,” warning that extreme heat will continue to worsen unless coal, oil, and gas use is reduced.
France is expected to begin easing heat alerts as conditions gradually improve, with forecasters predicting falling temperatures along the Atlantic coast following storm activity.
