Updates
16d
The heatwave has continued its march north and east, with Germany recording its highest temperature ever measured — a provisional 41.3°C in Saarbrücken-Burbach — while Belgium informally registered 40°C near the Dutch border and the UK set a June record of 37.1°C in Suffolk. At least 150 million Europeans faced temperatures above 35°C on Friday, up from 101 million the previous day, as Italy braced for its first readings of 40°C this summer. In Switzerland, the nation's glaciers are on track to lose all of their winter snow and ice accumulation by Monday, marking the second-earliest "glacier loss day" on record, with scientists warning that one metre of ice melted vertically at the Rhone Glacier in just ten days. France's health minister cautioned that deaths at home remain a major concern even as peak temperatures there ease, while authorities cancelled the Solidays music festival and the Paris Pride parade was rescheduled due to health risks.
17d
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution consortium have confirmed the heatwave is the most severe and widespread ever recorded in Europe, and would have been 2°C cooler as recently as 2003 had global heating not advanced so far. Paris health authorities reported four times the normal rate of cardiac arrests over a single 24-hour period, with Health Minister Stéphanie Rist warning that young people are equally at risk, citing cases of cardiac arrest among otherwise healthy individuals. Across the continent, at least 101 million Europeans experienced temperatures above 35°C on Thursday, with more than 380 million facing temperatures above 30°C. Fire officials in the southern Hérault department are also warning that the sustained heat has pushed wildfire risk to levels rarely seen before the end of July, with commanders fearing the danger this year could exceed that of previous seasons.
18d
The number of school closures across France has risen to at least 1,800, up from earlier estimates, as temperatures inside some classrooms have reached 40°C. Hundreds of migrants in Paris have been left particularly exposed to the extreme heat, with some resorting to unsafe swimming to cope with conditions. France has now recorded its highest temperatures in history during this event, with more than 44 million of the country's 67 million people placed under the highest level of alert. Vulnerable residents in poorly insulated apartment buildings — many lacking exterior window shutters — have described severe sleep deprivation, dizziness, and fear of rising electricity costs as they struggle to endure days of unrelenting heat.
A powerful heatwave has tightened its grip across much of Europe, bringing record-breaking temperatures, mass school closures, infrastructure disruptions, and mounting health emergencies. France has been among the hardest hit, with the national weather service Météo France placing 58 of the country's 96 metropolitan departments under red alert — meaning roughly 90 percent of the population faces extreme heat. Temperatures have oscillated between 36°C and 43°C across France, conditions Météo France describes as comparable in intensity to the catastrophic August 2003 heatwave, which killed an estimated 15,000 people in the country.
The consequences have been immediate and wide-ranging. More than 800 schools have been closed across France, and around 10 percent of trains serving the Paris region have been cancelled. The president of the Île-de-France region, which covers greater Paris, urged residents to work from home, warning that rail tracks cannot withstand temperatures above 50°C. Iconic landmarks have curtailed their hours: the Eiffel Tower closed early, while the Louvre — the world's most visited museum — brought forward its closing time, acknowledging that its historic building is
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