European heatwave shatters records, triggers over 1,300 deaths

An unprecedented heatwave is sweeping across Europe, with more than 150 million people exposed to temperatures above 35 °C and record highs above 40 °C in dozens of nations. The World Health Organization said the extreme heat has caused at least 1 300 excess deaths since 21 June, most of them people over 65 years old, and warned that the episode is a “silent killer.”

National health agencies confirmed that France alone recorded about 1 000 additional deaths during the peak of the heat, while Germany logged new all‑time highs of 41.7 °C (Coschen) and 41.5 °C (Mockern‑Drewitz). The Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Austria, Hungary and several Balkan states also broke longstanding temperature records, with some locations reaching 41.9 °C.

The extreme temperatures have crippled infrastructure: power outages affect tens of thousands of households, highways melt, rail and tram services are suspended, and water‑cannon deployments are used in Berlin and Paris. Public health responses include school closures, a temporary ban on public alcohol consumption in Paris, and the opening of emergency cooling units for funeral homes that are overwhelmed by the surge in deaths.

Scientists attribute the intensity and early onset of the heatwave to accelerating climate change, noting that Europe is warming at roughly twice the global average. officials expect the heat to move eastward toward the Balkans in the coming days, extending the strain on health services and utilities.