Europe swelters under record heat, with 12,000 deaths estimated in three days
Heat records tumble from Germany to Denmark, health services are overwhelmed, and the Economist estimates 12,000 people died between June 24 and 26.
Records shattered across the continent
Saturday brought all-time highs from Germany to Denmark. Germany recorded its hottest day ever at 41.5°C in Drewitz, Saxony-Anhalt, while Denmark reached 37°C in Aarhus, the highest since records began in 1874. The Czech Republic hit 40.6°C and Switzerland’s Basel notched 38.8°C, a June record. In Italy, 18 cities including Milan, Rome, and Bologna were placed under red alert, with temperatures forecast to touch 40°C on Sunday. Overnight lows offered little relief: Milan never dipped below 27°C, Bolzano’s minimum of 25.4°C was the highest since 1956, and Slovakia’s capital Bratislava recorded a record-high minimum of 26.3°C.
- Drewitz (Germany)
- 41.5 °C
- Czech Republic
- 40.6 °C
- Basel (Switzerland)
- 38.8 °C
- Aarhus (Denmark)
- 37 °C
Health systems under strain
Hospitals and emergency services across the continent are overwhelmed. Paris emergency department calls surged 80% in the past week.
Most admitted were elderly, but doctors also treated people in their fifties and sixties with very high fevers. In Cologne, seven people were found unconscious in their homes, many in attic apartments, after ten consecutive days of heat without significant nighttime cooling. Spain reported over 300 heat-related deaths in a week, and scattered fatalities were recorded from Italy to France, including drownings as people sought relief in rivers and canals.The situation is extremely serious, with corridors full of patients.
The human toll
The Economist’s modelling, using the Masselot method that accounts for how unusual temperatures are for a given population, estimates that 12,000 people died across Europe in the three days from June 24 to 26.
The figures underscore how lethal 30°C can be in Manchester compared with 40°C in Madrid. Alessandro Miani, president of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (Sima), called it a confirmation that extreme heat is no longer a seasonal discomfort but a public health emergency. In Italy alone, three deaths were directly linked to the heat: an 82-year-old Roman tourist collapsed on a beach in Marina di Grosseto after leaving the water, and a 30-year-old Tunisian resident of Milan drowned in the Piave river after suffering thermal shock.The mortality rate in Paris rose by 300%, in London by 200% and in Milan by 170%.
Disruption and cancellations
Authorities cancelled major events across Europe. The Paris and Lyon Pride parades were called off, as was the Solidays music festival, costing AIDS charities an estimated 3 million euros. Hamburg scrapped its half-marathon, while Frankfurt’s Ironman shortened its cycling and running courses. In Switzerland, the Beznau nuclear power station was shut down due to excessive temperatures. Even Berlin’s Philharmonic was permitted to perform without jackets and with rolled-up sleeves. In the UK, more than 700 flights at Heathrow and Gatwick were delayed by thunderstorms triggered by the extreme heat.
Heatwave shifts eastward
With the heat peak expected in Italy on Sunday, authorities have issued maximum alerts for Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Moldova, with warnings in effect at least through midweek. Budapest held its first Pride parade since Viktor Orbán’s era, but Prime Minister Magyar distributed millions of water bottles. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright drew criticism for a message to Europeans that downplayed the heatwave’s severity. As the continent braces for further records, the World Meteorological Organization said it was possible this heatwave is unprecedented in scope, though it is too early for a definitive assessment.
- Germany hits all-time high of 41.5°C at Drewitz; Denmark reaches 37°C in Aarhus, hottest since 1874.
- Czech Republic sets record 40.6°C; Slovakia overnight low of 26.3°C, an all-time high minimum.
- Paris and Lyon cancel Pride events; Hamburg half-marathon scrapped; Berlin Philharmonic performs without jackets.
- Peak heat expected in Italy with 18 cities under red alert; temperatures near 40°C in Milan and Rome.
- Heatwave shifts northeast, with maximum alerts for Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Moldova.
