Europe is on high alert Friday as a record-breaking heatwave grips the continent, with temperatures soaring above 40°C in multiple countries and authorities imposing emergency measures to protect public health. Health services from France to Serbia reported overwhelmed hospitals and rising death tolls as the crisis shifts eastward, while scientists warned the extreme event would have been “impossible” without human-caused climate change .

France took the unprecedented step of banning alcohol sales in Paris and other cities at midday Friday, with temperatures reaching 36°C and expected to climb further. The restrictions aim to curb dehydration and heat-related fatalities after scores of excess deaths were reported across the country . In Germany, motorways cracked under the heat, while the Netherlands extended its most severe Code Red alert through Saturday as meteorologists warned of “record-breaking hittestress” in Dutch cities .

Austria’s rail operator ÖBB issued warnings of heat-related service disruptions, citing risks to tracks and overhead lines as temperatures climbed above 38°C . In Brandenburg, Potsdam braced for 40°C on Saturday, prompting the cancellation of public events and emergency preparations in hospitals . Berlin’s Bundestag vice-president issued a public appeal for residents to take heat warnings seriously as forecasts predicted up to 41°C in the capital .

Scientists at World Weather Attribution said the heatwave was the most severe ever recorded in Europe and at least 150 times more likely due to fossil fuel-driven climate change . Researchers warned June is warming faster than any other month, with aging populations, overheating homes, and inadequate preparations driving up death tolls despite decades of warnings since the deadly 2003 heatwave .

The crisis has already forced the cancellation of festivals and public gatherings across Germany, where heat-related conflicts in swimming pools have surged, while in France a correspondent described a week of “frustration” as attempts to find relief proved futile . With the hottest months still ahead, authorities are bracing for further strain on emergency services and critical infrastructure as the continent endures what experts call a climate emergency in real time.

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Articles

What is a heat dome? How Europes scorching temperatures are driving the UK heatwave The UK is grappling with the second heatwave of the year as continental Europe swelters under 40C heat

independent · 19 days ago

Record Swiss temperatures for second day in a row A fresh high temperature record for June was recorded in Switzerland for a second successive day. The Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss) said a weather station at Basel-Binningen recorded 38.8 degrees Celcius on Friday. This beat the previous June temperature record of 38 degrees recorded on Thursday. + Swiss study: five easy ways to stay cool in hot weather This is not only a record for the month of June but also an all-time record for this weather station, according to MeteoSwiss on its website. The previous station record of 38.6 degrees was set in 2003. Translated from French, sub-edited by mga

swissinfo · 19 days ago

Severe Code Red heat warning extended through Saturday in several Dutch provinces The threat of extreme heat continuing into the weekend prompted meteorologists to extend the most severe Code Red weather alert into a second consecutive day in parts of the Netherlands.

nltimes.nl · 19 days ago

Dutch June temperature record broken as 38.2°C recorded in Eindhoven The Netherlands recorded its highest June temperature on record on Friday afternoon, with 38.2 degrees Celsius measured in Eindhoven at 2:40 p.m., according to Weeronline.

nltimes.nl · 19 days ago

Europes extreme heat would be impossible without climate change, scientists say

gdeltproject.org · 19 days ago

Estonian in Paris says heat wave has pushed France into crisis Marina Laikjõe, a guide and tour leader living in Paris, said that the heat gripping France has made daily life and tourism extremely difficult. The biggest concern is still ahead, as the hottest summer months have not yet begun.

news.err · 19 days ago

Heatwave to hit Lithuania with 37C temperatures A heatwave will persist in Lithuania for the next three days and is likely to peak on Monday with temperatures reaching up to 37C, according to the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service (Meteo LT).

lrt · 19 days ago

Its not just hot, its climate change: the heatwave scorching Europe would have been impossible just 50 years ago A study points to global warming as responsible for the unusually high temperatures recorded in this extreme weather event

elpais · 19 days ago

Werknemers krijgen hulp tijdens hitte: van zonnebrand tot ijsjes De extreme hitte dwingt werkgevers tot aanpassingen op de werkvloer. Bezorgers kunnen hun werk meer spreiden en dakdekkers stoppen eerder. Ook klanten helpen een handje mee en bieden bijvoorbeeld water of ijsjes aan aan bezorgers.

nu.nl · 19 days ago

Ook de kinderopvang bezwijkt onder de hitte: Het is een kat-en-muisspel De kinderopvang en de buitenschoolse opvang zijn vrijdag op verschillende plekken in het land dicht vanwege de hitte. Van het geld dat zij hierdoor mislopen kunnen ze heel wat aircos aanschaffen. "De temperatuur steeg in een half uur met 4 graden."

nu.nl · 19 days ago

La canicule derrière les barreaux de la prison de Rennes-Vezin La France suffoque et ses détenus aussi. «Mediapart» sest rendu, jeudi 25 juin, à la prison de Rennes, en compagnie de la députée LFI Marie Mesmeur. «Un système qui ne va pas bien», dit-elle, tandis que la directrice avoue ne pas disposer de «baguette magique».

mediapart · 19 days ago

Neuer Rekord – Deutscher Wetterdienst meldet höchste je in Deutschland gemessene Temperatur Erstmals wurden in Deutschland Temperaturen von mehr als 40 Grad gemessen. Der vorläufige Höchstwert stammt aus Saarbrücken-Burbach – und liegt bei spektakulären 41,3 Grad. Mehr im Liveticker.

welt.de · 19 days ago

Hitzewochenende erwartet: 40 Grad und mehr - Brandenburg im Ausnahmezustand Brandenburg steht vor einem Hitze-Wochenende. Veranstaltungen wurden abgesagt, Kliniken rüsten nach und die Badestellen dürften sich auf einen Ansturm gefasst machen. Ein Überblick.

tagesspiegel · 19 days ago

Hitzewelle in Berlin: „Der erste Schwung ist weg – Ventilatoren, Klimageräte und Luftkühler vielerorts ausverkauft Die Hauptstadtregion erlebt eine extreme Hitzewelle. Zahlreiche Veranstaltungen fallen aus, die Feuerwehr rüstet sich für mehr Einsätze, die Polizei verstärkt ihre Präsenz. Alle Entwicklungen im Newsblog.

tagesspiegel · 19 days ago

Spain records hottest June days on record amid extreme heatwave Spain recorded its two hottest June days on record this week, with Tuesday becoming the hottest June day since 1950. The heatwave, driven by a persistent heat dome and Saharan air, has caused 212 heat‑related deaths, while AEMET warns that heatwaves now average 22 days annually—up from just three in past decades.

yenisafak · 19 days ago

Europes heatwave most severe ever recorded, study finds The latest European heatwave is the most severe ever recorded, made significantly more likely by fossil fuel-driven climate change, according to World Weather Attribution. Many capitals saw their hottest June days since 1950, and researchers warn that June is warming faster than any other month.

yenisafak · 19 days ago

Alcohol moet in het verdomhoekje. Maar hoe maak je iets dat zó normaal is – een biertje of een glas wijn – abnormaal? Beleid kan het verschil maken De Gezondheidsraad adviseerde deze week de alomtegenwoordige gifstof alcohol te denormaliseren. Experts stellen dat beleid kan helpen: reduceer het aantal verkooppunten. „Het probleem is dat alcohol vaak óók iets lijkt op te lossen: stress, eenzaamheid, verveling.

nrc · 19 days ago

«Cest une sage décision mais je comprends ce sentiment dinjustice» : à Paris, déception après le report de la pride en raison de la canicule Si lannulation de la marche festive et politique prévue samedi 27 juin est plutôt comprise par les participants, elle nourrit aussi un sentiment de colère face à un deux poids, deux mesures de la part des pouvoirs publics.

liberation · 19 days ago

La primera ola de calor del verano es la más "severa y extendida" que ha padecido Europa: "Un evento así en junio no habría sido posible sin el cambio climático" El análisis del grupo de científicos del clima del World Weather Attribution señala que este episodio de calor extremo "excepcional", que ha sometido a temperaturas superiores a los 35 grados a 150 millones de personas, se ha visto agravado por el cambio climático Leer

elmundo · 19 days ago

Hitzewelle: Deutschland muss sich an diese Temperaturen gewöhnen 40 Grad im Juni, das ist noch nicht das Ende der Erwärmung. Unser Land ist nicht gut genug auf das neue Klima vorbereitet. Das muss sich ändern.

faz · 19 days ago

Paris bans alcohol in public amid record-breaking heatwave

news.yahoo.com · 19 days ago

DeBriefed 26 June 2026: Heat records broken across Europe | London climate action week | Introducing Project Cosmos Welcome to Carbon Briefs DeBriefed. An essential guide to the weeks key developments relating to climate... The post DeBriefed 26 June 2026: Heat records broken across Europe | London climate action week | Introducing Project Cosmos appeared first on Carbon Brief.

carbon brief · 19 days ago

Europe on high alert as killer heat spreads Health authorities across Europe were on high alert on Friday as a killer heatwave progressed across the continent, prompting alcohol bans in France and cracking road surfaces open in Germany. From Britain and France to Germany, Italy, Austria and Serbia, Europe sizzled under a record-breaking ball of heat rolling across the region. Scientists said the […]

in-cyprus · 19 days ago

Flinke onweersbuien verwacht in het weekend, vanaf maandag koelt het af Na een hete vrijdag in Nederland volgt een zaterdag met opnieuw temperaturen ver boven de 30 graden Celsius. Vrijdagavond trekken al flinke onweersbuien over het zuidoosten van het land. Zaterdagavond geldt code geel voor het hele land vanwege onweer. Vanaf maandag koelt het af.

nu.nl · 19 days ago

„Wenn die Temperaturen hoch sind, nimmt die Aggressivität zu – Hitze hat Deutschland fest im Griff Die Hitze hat Deutschland fest im Griff. Zahlreiche Feste und Veranstaltungen sind abgesagt oder verschoben worden – und wie schon in den Vorjahren kommt es in Freibädern zu Konflikten.

welt.de · 19 days ago

Hitzewelle: Fusion-Festival läuft weiter – andere Events sind abgesagt Nachdem am Abend kurzzeitig Zehntausende wegen Bränden evakuiert wurden, wird die Fusion vorerst fortgesetzt. An vielen anderen Orten macht die extreme Hitze Musikfans einen Strich durch die Rechnung.

tagesspiegel · 19 days ago

Extreme Temperaturen in Deutschland: Nicht gewappnet für den Hitzedom Für Sonntag sind über 40 Grad Celsius angesagt. Doch die Politik erkenne die Gefahr für viele Menschen nicht ausreichend an, klagen Forscher. mehr...

taz.de · 19 days ago

Zaterdag opnieuw code rood afgegeven voor Limburg, Brabant, Gelderland en Overijssel Het KNMI geeft ook voor zaterdag code rood af vanwege de extreme hitte. Het weeralarm geldt alleen voor de provincies Limburg, Brabant, Gelderland en Overijssel, aldus het…

nrc · 19 days ago

In de hitte in het verpleeghuis: De airco staat op 23 graden. We zetten hem niet lager, want dan krijgen sommige bewoners het juist weer koud Ouderen lopen bij hoge temperatuur een groter risico op uitdroging en oververhitting: hun vochtreserve is kleiner. In verpleeghuis Neibertilla in Drachten zoemt de airco en staat de ranja koud. Maar sommige bewoners verkiezen de zon. „Een mevrouw lag buiten, badend in haar eigen zweet.

nrc · 19 days ago

Politie, postbodes, de brandweer – wat doen zij met de hitte? Alles wat je aanhebt is natuurlijk te veel op dit moment Vakbond FNV roept de politiek vrijdag op om duidelijkere regels te maken „voor alle werkenden in extreme hitte.

nrc · 19 days ago