Europe endures historic early‑summer heat wave

An unprecedented heat wave swept across Central Europe in June 2024, breaking long‑standing temperature records. In Germany, the Deutscher Wetterdienst described it as the longest and most intense early‑summer heat event on record, with Bavaria seeing an all‑time high of 40.8 °C in Kitzingen. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Meteorology confirmed that the ten‑day heat spell was the hottest in the past 125‑160 years, noting that a comparable event 50 years ago would have been about 3.5 °C cooler. Scientists from World Weather Attribution linked the extreme temperatures to climate change. The prolonged heat caused widespread discomfort, disrupted sleep, increased energy use, and sparked public debate over climate policy and personal coping strategies across both countries.