Europe reels under historic June heatwave: records shattered, hundreds dead, schools shut as mercury climbs past 43°C

Records shattered across Western Europe

A mass of hot air from Africa, trapped under a high-pressure dome over Western Europe, has pushed thermometers to levels never before seen in June. On Wednesday, France registered its hottest day in history when Palluau in the Vendée department hit 43.8°C. The following night broke the national record for the warmest nocturnal temperature. The United Kingdom set a new June high on Wednesday at 36.1°C in Gosport, only to beat it again on Thursday with 36.4°C at Yeovilton in Somerset. Switzerland recorded 38°C in Basel, its highest June reading since 1947, while Belgium posted 34.6°C in Brussels, breaking a record from 1976. The Netherlands, for the first time, issued a code‑red heat warning.

Deadly toll

Authorities in Spain counted at least 212 deaths possibly linked to the extreme temperatures between Sunday and Wednesday, with the health ministry warning that the number may rise as data are compiled. Monday and Tuesday were the hottest June days ever recorded across Spain, where national average temperatures sat 7.1°C above normal. At least 20 people drowned in seas or rivers while trying to cool off. In France, a three‑year‑old child died after being left alone in a car outside the family home in Val‑d’Oise, and three other deaths at home in Pas‑de‑Calais were deemed likely heat‑related. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire spoke of a “surge in mortality” in the capital without giving numbers.

I would like everyone to mobilise for people who are isolated. If you are near someone isolated, go and check on your neighbour and ask if they are well.

Institutions overwhelmed

More than 13,500 schools in France were closed or switched to a reduced timetable, and emergency calls jumped 10% above normal levels. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu placed the health system on its highest alert, while Education Minister Edouard Geffray confirmed the closures. Hospitals are struggling with ageing infrastructure and little cooling. Aline Charon, a union manager at Robert Ballanger Hospital, described conditions as catastrophic.

The situation in the hospital is catastrophic. There are very few air‑conditioning units, and management cannot tell us where they are or even how many. In three‑quarters of the hospital, indoor temperatures exceed 35°C.

The penal system is faring no better. French prisons, already chronically overcrowded, are turning into furnaces. André Ferragne, secretary general of the Inspectorate General of Places of Deprivation of Liberty, noted that prison buildings are often degraded and poorly insulated, offering almost no protection from heat or cold. Wilfried Fonck of the UFAP‑UNSa Justice union said a colleague compared working in a prison to being trapped in a kettle.

The air‑conditioning gap

While Spain equips about half of its homes with cooling, only around one in four French households has air conditioning. In Paris, installing an external unit requires municipal permission, and many residents resist on environmental grounds. The contrast drew amusement from Japanese media, where nearly all schools and more than 90% of homes are air‑conditioned. A Japanese tourist told Fuji News Network that riding un‑air‑conditioned French public transport felt “like a sauna.” The episode has revived a long‑running debate about whether cooling should be treated as essential infrastructure to save lives.

Heat shifts east

The heatwave is now sliding towards Central and Eastern Europe. German authorities expect 40°C in some areas and have cancelled outdoor sport and cultural events. Czechia is also bracing for extreme temperatures, and forecasters say the hot air mass will reach Romania early next week. Climatologists point to the recurring heatwaves as an unambiguous signal of climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels, with predictions that such events will become more frequent, longer and more intense.