Record heatwave kills hundreds across Western Europe as Paris bans alcohol and hospitals overflow

Record temperatures tumble across the continent

On Wednesday, Paris recorded 40.9°C, its hottest June day ever. The following day, the UK saw 36.7°C in Yeovilton, Somerset, breaking the national June record set only a day earlier. Switzerland registered 38°C in Basel, the first time the country has exceeded 37°C in June, surpassing a mark from 1947. France experienced its hottest day on record, with a national thermal index of 38.2°C, and its warmest night since 1947, as minimum temperatures averaged 22°C. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany also faced extreme heat, with Brussels hitting 34.6°C, its highest in 50 years.

Death toll mounts, hospitals under severe strain

Spain has reported at least 212 heat-related deaths in four days, according to the MoMo mortality monitoring system. Italy confirmed five fatalities, including agricultural and construction workers. In France, authorities are investigating three deaths at home and the death of a child left in a car in Paris, with two other children dying in similar circumstances in the south. A rock collapse on a beach in Biarritz, attributed to extreme weather, killed one person and left another missing. London Ambulance Service recorded its busiest day ever on Wednesday, with 642 category‑1 life‑threatening calls and 7,900 total calls. French ambulance services saw a fourfold increase in cardiac arrests in 24 hours, now affecting younger age groups.

“We are only at the beginning of the increase in the number of people arriving at emergency departments.”

Governments impose emergency restrictions

Paris police chief Patrick Forêt announced a temporary ban on public alcohol consumption from Friday noon to Saturday 7 a.m., repeating over the weekend, and a ban on packaged alcohol sales from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Restaurants and cafés with outdoor seating are exempt. The Louvre and Eiffel Tower reduced opening hours. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu raised the health alert to maximum, mobilising additional hospital staff. In the UK, the Met Office extended a red extreme heat warning for London and south-east England through Friday, the first time such warnings have been issued for three consecutive days. The Netherlands also issued a red alert.

“I must ensure the pressure is reduced.”

Infrastructure buckles under the heat

Around 68,000 households in Brittany lost power after a transformer failure linked to high temperatures. Two nuclear reactors in France were shut down to prevent river water from overheating. In the UK, shoppers queued for over an hour outside a Lidl in Southampton to buy air-conditioning units priced at £149, with stock selling out immediately. Schools across affected regions were closed, and oral exams for 10,000 French students were postponed.

Climate warnings grow louder

Copernicus head warned that the 50°C threshold is only a matter of time. UN climate chief Simon Stiell said the heatwave bears the clear fingerprints of the climate crisis and called for faster transition to renewables and greater resilience. Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire urged residents to avoid exercise, saying he saw about 100 people running in the streets on Wednesday evening.

“The severe heatwave hitting Europe clearly bears the fingerprints of the climate crisis.”

“We must not consider ourselves invulnerable. I am thinking especially of young people. Last night, around 7:30 p.m., I saw about 100 people running in the streets. Honestly, that is irresponsible.”