Europe swelters under North African heatwave: 212 dead in Spain, ground temperatures near 50°C, Paris bans alcohol
An exceptional heatwave from North Africa has killed at least 212 people in Spain, forced France to shut nuclear reactors and ban alcohol in Paris, and put 18 Italian cities on red alert as ground temperatures approached 50°C.
A continent under extreme heat
A mass of scorching air from North Africa has settled over western Europe, pushing ground temperatures to 48°C in Madrid, 44°C in Rome and 46°C in Poitiers and Zaragoza, according to Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite measurements taken on 23 June. The European Space Agency described a "heat dome" trapped between low-pressure systems on either side. Surface temperatures in parts of central Spain, western France and North Africa reached 55°C, though these readings reflect asphalt and rock, not air temperature.
Human toll: deaths in Spain and France
Spain recorded 212 heat-related deaths between Sunday 21 June and Wednesday 24 June. In France, a three-year-old child was found dead on Wednesday inside a car parked in the sun in Val-d'Oise. Around fifty people were injured diving into Paris's Canal Saint-Martin, which had been opened for swimming to relieve the heat.
The situation is under control today; we are monitoring with great attention especially the most fragile people: the elderly, pregnant women and children.
Italy braces for peak temperatures
Italy's health ministry raised the number of red-alert cities to 18 on 26 June, adding Genoa to the 17 already flagged. The same 18 remain red on 27 June, while six new orange alerts (Campobasso, Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo, Reggio Calabria and Trieste) signal high risk for vulnerable groups. Only Cagliari, Catania and Messina stay at yellow pre-alert. A coordination panel met on 25 June, activating the public information line 1500 (over 300 calls received) and ordering dedicated triage paths in emergency rooms for heat-related illnesses. Family doctors, community health houses and on-call medical services are being reinforced, and organisers of mass events such as concerts and sports fixtures have been told to adopt prevention measures.
France shuts schools, nuclear plants, bans alcohol
France has closed 3,500 schools and halted three nuclear reactors because the river water used for cooling became too warm. The Paris prefect banned the sale and consumption of alcohol from noon on 26 June. The child's death in Val-d'Oise added to the sense of crisis.
Broader European disruptions
In Germany, temperatures exceeded 40°C in some locations. The United Kingdom entered a second day of red alert, with around 1,000 schools shut. Kent banned garden water pumps, Wales recorded its highest June minimum temperature at 23.5°C, and London ambulance services handled a record number of calls, assisting 3,600 people.
Climate data and forecasts
- Madrid
- 48 °C
- Rome
- 44 °C
- Poitiers
- 46 °C
- Zaragoza
- 46 °C
Professor Galbiati, a meteorologist, told Fanpage that the North African high-pressure system is now bending towards central-northern Italy, bringing even more heat. He expects daytime highs of 37°C in Rome over the weekend and nighttime lows not falling below 24–26°C, with high humidity compounding the stress.
This is a truly exceptional, extreme heat situation. The problem is that nighttime minimum temperatures are also rising, so probably we won't go below 24–26 degrees during the weekend and early week nights.
- Copernicus Sentinel-3 records ground temperatures up to 55°C in parts of Spain, France and North Africa.
- Three-year-old child found dead in a car in Val-d'Oise, France.
- Italian health ministry holds coordination meeting, activates public information line 1500.
- Paris alcohol ban takes effect at noon; 18 Italian cities under red alert.
- Red alerts remain at 18 cities; six new orange alerts issued in Italy.
