A new heatwave is already battering western and central Europe, stretching from Spain to the United Kingdom and affecting tens of millions of people. This marks the second extreme heat event to strike western Europe in less than a month, with authorities in the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Spain all raising their alert levels.
Meteorologists warn that conditions are expected to worsen over the weekend, particularly in France, where the event could become one of the most severe in decades.
France: Temperatures up to 40°C and possible red alert — Paris events cancelled due to the heatwave
Météo-France warns that the heatwave will peak between Sunday and Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius across western and central France. Multiple departments may be placed under red alert — the highest warning level — in an event already being compared to the historic heatwave of August 2003.
As of today, two-thirds of French departments, including Paris, are under orange alert. The intensity of the heat has prompted several local authorities to cancel Fête de la Musique events that had been scheduled for the weekend.
Heatwave in the UK: June temperature record could be broken
In the United Kingdom, the new heat event is expected to peak on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures reaching as high as 34°C. A large part of southern England, including London, has been placed under orange alert.
The Met Office has indicated that the all-time June record of 35.6 degrees Celsius — set in both 1957 and 1976 — could be surpassed early next week. Meanwhile, spring 2026 was already the warmest ever recorded in England and Wales.
Spain, Switzerland, and Germany on high alert
In Spain, authorities have issued extreme heat warnings covering most of the country, including the Balearic Islands, with the mercury climbing to 40 degrees in eastern regions.
In Switzerland, Basel is under a level 4 alert on a five-point scale, with forecast temperatures reaching 37 degrees. In Geneva, preschool-aged children will not attend school on Monday and Tuesday due to the dangerous heat conditions.
Germany’s national meteorological service has warned of “strong to extreme heat stress” across large parts of the country, along with the possibility of severe thunderstorms.
Climate change
Scientists are linking the new heat event directly to climate change. Météo-France climatologist Matthieu Sorel has described the recurring extreme temperatures as “a clear sign of climate change.”
According to estimates published in Nature Medicine, more than 60,000 people die annually across Europe due to heat-related causes, with data for 2025 still being processed.
Lancet data shows that during the period 2015–2024, almost all European regions recorded an increase in heat-related mortality compared to the 1991–2000 decade.
High temperatures across central Europe
From Hungary and Slovakia to Austria, meteorological services are forecasting very high temperatures in the days ahead.
In Austria, the heatwave is expected to persist until early next week, with brief relief possible from heavy thunderstorms in western mountainous areas.
Sources: ANA-MPA, AFP
