Czech Republic braces for record 41°C heat as emergency call-outs surge by up to 30%

Record-breaking heat forecast

Meteorologists warn that Sunday could bring the highest temperature ever recorded in the Czech Republic. The current absolute record of 40.4°C was set on 20 August 2012 in Dobřichovice. Forecasts for 28 June show a very warm air mass at around 1,500 metres altitude, similar to or warmer than in 2012, and the longer June daylight hours increase the chance of a new record. The warmest conditions are expected in central Bohemia, the Elbe lowlands, the Ohře basin and southern Moravia.

Strain on emergency services

Ambulance crews and hospitals are already handling a sharp rise in heat-related cases. In the South Bohemia region, call-outs rose from the usual 238 per day to 306 on Wednesday. Monika Nováková, a spokeswoman for the Central Bohemia rescue service, said 44 collapse cases were recorded in a single 24-hour period.

The number of call-outs always rises when temperatures go very high, or very low. Over the last 24 hours we had 44 collapse states.

Emergency departments at Prague teaching hospitals have seen admissions climb by 10 to 30 percent. The Ministry of Health reports that dehydration, heatstroke and worsening of chronic illnesses (such as asthma or hypertension) are the most common problems. Elderly people and young children, who have less effective thermoregulation, are at highest risk.

Cities respond with water and cancellations

Municipalities across the country are deploying misting stations, water sprinklers and shaded seating. In Brno, a sprinkler truck runs through the centre three times a day, and only about 57 percent of public transport vehicles have functioning air conditioning. Drivers are being supplied with electrolyte drinks and can be replaced immediately if they feel unwell.

Some outdoor events have been called off. Olomouc cancelled its regular Sunday promenade concert and a children’s holiday-start celebration; the Museum of Art decided not to open its attic exhibition. In Mohelnice, the Street Food Festival will go ahead on Saturday but organisers promise extra shaded areas, water mist and help from the fire brigade to wet the sun-baked square.

A hotter future

Climatologists say the heatwave fits a long-term pattern. Radim Tolasz of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute notes that extreme heat episodes have become longer and more frequent.

Fifty or more years ago such periods occurred only exceptionally, mostly in July and August, and lasted at most five or six days. Today they commonly last ten to fifteen days, can appear more than once in a summer, and increasingly start in June or stretch into September.

Across Europe, France recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday and placed three-quarters of the country under a top-level red alert. In Spain, the MoMo monitoring system estimates that the heat has already been linked to more than 200 deaths. Tropical nights with temperatures not dipping below 20°C are further straining health services in southern Europe.

The current Czech heatwave is expected to peak on Sunday before cooler air arrives from the west on Monday. Next week should bring a return to average temperatures.