Czech heatwave breaks all-time record, tropical nights blanket the country
Temperatures hit 40.9°C in Doksany, breaking a 14-year-old record, while 40% of stations reported tropical nights and hospitals see a surge in patients.
Record shattered in Doksany
The Czech Republic's absolute temperature record fell on Saturday 27 June when the Doksany station in the Litoměřice district measured 40.9°C. That surpasses the previous record of 40.4°C set in Dobřichovice in 2012, a 14-year-old benchmark. The all-time high was not an isolated event; twenty stations with long measurement traditions reported their warmest day ever, including Prague's Klementinum, which at 251 years of data reached 39°C, smashing its previous record of 37.8°C from 27 July 1983.
Nights that offer no relief
The night from Saturday to Sunday brought a tropical night to 40 percent of Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) stations, with minimums staying above 20°C, and at several sites, not even dipping below 25°C. The institute noted that such persistently high nighttime temperatures had previously occurred at only seven stations in history. Seč recorded 27°C, Město Albrechtice 25.5°C, Ondřejov and Přimda both 25.1°C, and Klementinum exactly 25°C. Meteorologists warned that the night to Monday could be even warmer, with a real chance of breaking the all-time highest minimum record of 27.2°C set in Bystřice pod Hostýnem on 8 August 2013.
Sunday brings more records before 9 a.m.
By 9 a.m. on Sunday 28 June, at least five stations, Hojsova Stráž in the Šumava mountains, Labská bouda in the Krkonoše, Javorník in the Jeseníky, Albrechtice in Moravia-Silesia, and Bystřice pod Hostýnem in the Zlín region, had already broken their records for the date. Forecasts for the day put highs between 35 and 40°C, with some lowland areas such as lower Polabí and Poohří possibly reaching 41°C. Mountain stations expect around 32°C. The ČHMÚ said more records were certain to follow through the afternoon.
- Doksany station records 40.9°C, breaking the absolute Czech temperature record.
- Tropical night: temperatures stay above 20°C at 40% of stations, some above 25°C.
- Five stations break June 28 temperature records before 9 a.m.
- Highs forecast to reach 35–41°C in lowlands, peaking heatwave.
- Meteorologists warn Monday night could break the all-time highest minimum record.
On the ground: power, trams, hospitals
The heat is already showing up in energy data. Amper Meteo's analysis for ČTK found that electricity consumption on Thursday was 5.8 percent higher than on 10 June, when temperatures were 15 degrees cooler, a difference of roughly 10 GWh. The real increase is likely larger because many air-conditioning units run off rooftop solar. In Prague, tram overhead wires sagged in the heat, forcing speed limits of 40 km/h (10 km/h in underpasses) and causing delays. Hospitals are feeling the strain too: emergency departments at Prague's Motol and Homolka hospitals reported roughly 10 to 15 percent more patients than usual.
Jaroslav Joska, the mayor of Doksany, a village of under 500 people, said the record was not something he attached great importance to. “We have quite a lot of greenery, a river nearby, a big park,” he said, noting that firefighters had hosed down the area for effect. He added that the scorching temperatures were not just his village's problem, other stations had similar readings.Quite hot. We are used to it here.
What's next
The ČHMÚ has extended extreme heat warnings for the eastern half of the country into Monday, when temperatures in Moravian and Silesian lowlands are expected to exceed 37°C. A cold front should begin to affect the rest of the country, though most regions except western and northwestern Bohemia will still see highs above 31°C. After Sunday's peak, the question is whether Monday morning will deliver a new all-time minimum temperature record, a finale to an extraordinary heatwave.
