A summary of today's developments
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France has seen its hottest day since records began, according to the country’s weather agency, with temperatures reaching 44.3C in Pissos. Other areas also reached unprecedented highs, including 42.1C in Bordeaux, Météo-France said. The Eiffel Tower closed early on Tuesday due to the heatwave.
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The UK Met Office said temperatures could reach a maximum of 39C on Thursday, most likely for somewhere in London or the South East, with higher temperatures “possible”.
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Hundreds of schools across the south of England and Wales are expected to close or vary their hours this week, in an effort to combat the extreme heat and conditions labelled as dangerous by education unions. School leaders said they had warned parents about potential closures on Wednesday and Thursday, with many opting to end the day early to avoid the worst of the afternoon heat.
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50 years after the summer heatwave of 1976, scientists in the UK’s Met Office have developed what they call a “plausible 2056 scenario,” which forecasts the impact of similar heat events on the future. Based on 2.5C of global heating, temperatures in England could hit 45C, while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland would face 41C, 38C and 30C respectively. In that scenario, a prolonged heatwave could continue across a fortnight, including nine days in a row where temperatures would be above 40C.
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Nearly all of Spain was under a heat alert on Tuesday, with parts of the south and north of the country placed on the highest warning level. National weather agency AEMET issued red alerts – a warning for “extraordinary danger” – for areas around the southern city of Cordoba, the northern city of Bilbao and parts of the northern region of Cantabria.
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London is “cooking”, according to the head of the United Nations. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, referenced Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities in a major address at London Climate Action Week as the capital swelters in a severe heatwave. Speaking at the event on Tuesday, Guterres said: “Crisis brings clarity and here in London – the city of Dickens – it is clear that our world is facing a ‘tale of two crises’.”
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In Italy, the health ministry issued its highest level alert for 15 cities and authorities took measures to curtail work in some sectors. Storms were expected over the Alps and Apennines, bringing heavy rain, gusty winds and hail.
The temperature in St Athan, South Glamorgan did not drop below 20.3C overnight on Monday, marking a new record for June in Wales, the Met Office said.
The forecaster said on X: “Last night, parts of England and Wales didn’t drop below 20℃.
“In fact, Wales has provisionally recorded a new highest minimum temperature for June of 20.3℃ at St Athan, South Glamorgan.
“Tonight, more areas will remain around 20℃, leading to an uncomfortable night’s sleep.”
The UK Met Office said 29,074 lightning strikes were recorded in the UK in the 24 hours before 9am on Tuesday as a storm swept across southern England.
France records hottest day since records began
France has seen its hottest day since records began, according to the country’s weather agency, with temperatures reaching 44.3C in Pissos.
Other areas also reached unprecedented highs, including 42.1C in Bordeaux, Météo-France said in a post on X.
Updated
The latest podcast has dropped on Europe’s debilitating heatwave. Lucy Hough speaks to Europe environment correspondent Ajit Niranjan.
Some 100 schools will be at least partly closed in Somerset over the next three days due to the rising temperatures, with a similar number in Buckinghamshire, 90 in Oxfordshire and more than 80 in Gloucestershire, according to council data.
Around 35 schools will be shut or operating on more limited opening hours in Hampshire, some 30 in the east London boroughs of Hackney and Barking and Dagenham and more than 20 in Worcestershire.
Tomorrow evening in Cardiff right in the middle of the red heat alert, The Cure are playing at Blackweir Fields, which has a capacity of 35,000 people.
A spokesman for Blackweir & Depot Live, the event’s promoter, said: “We are keeping a close eye on the weather forecast and putting measures in place to ensure the wellbeing of all our concertgoers. This includes a marked increase in the number of free water stations across our sites along with increased welfare facilities to help people should they become affected by the hot weather.
“We will continue to monitor temperatures to ensure the safety of all concertgoers and our on-site staff.
“Additionally, we advise people to wear appropriate sunscreen and to keep hydrated at all times.”
The Met Office said it expected the highest recorded temperature for June of 35.6C, set in 1976 in Hampshire, to be surpassed this week.
It also expected the highest minimum temperature for June of 22.7C, which was also set in 1976, to be broken as well.
The forecaster said: “The UK’s June maximum temperature record is expected to be broken this week, and the highest minimum temperature record may be broken as well.
“The high temperatures only tell part of the story however, as high humidity will add to how uncomfortable it is both by day and night.”
France’s government said that 1,800 schools were closed because of the heat today, and another 8,000 shortened their hours to send pupils home early amid the soaring temperatures, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency.
Hundreds of schools in England and Wales to close in heatwave
Hundreds of schools across the south of England and Wales are expected to close or vary their hours this week, in an effort to combat the extreme heat and conditions labelled as dangerous by education unions.
School leaders said they had warned parents about potential closures on Wednesday and Thursday, with many opting to end the day early to avoid the worst of the afternoon heat.
Headteachers say they are deploying fans and portable air conditioning in classrooms where possible, although several reported that supplies of fans at local hardware stores had already sold out.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said it could be dangerous for schools to remain open unless they were able to mitigate the heat, and warned:
Our Victorian school buildings have become greenhouses. The government must step up. We need urgent, massive capital investment to retrofit our ageing school estates with proper ventilation, shading, and climate-resilient cooling infrastructure. Expecting schools to carry on like normal right now is dangerous.
The management of the Louvre in Paris has said the museum will close early (at 4pm instead of 6pm) from Wednesday to Saturday because of the heatwave in France.
The museum said in a statement that “intense temperatures” have caused “difficult visiting and working conditions” during the hottest hours of the day. Explaining the reason for closing early, it said:
Its historic building, while naturally resilient in certain parts of its architecture, remains fragile and is not sufficiently adapted to climate change.
Its 73,000 square meters of museum space are not uniformly exposed to the sun, resulting in temperature increases in certain areas that no longer guarantee the comfort of visitors or staff. The heat buildup is greatest at the end of the day, exacerbated by the high volume of visitors.
The Louvre’s teams are working diligently to monitor the temperature in the museum’s various areas and open and close galleries accordingly. The Louvre museum is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to adapt its opening hours and operations as the situation evolves.
Our European community affairs correspondent, Ashifa Kassam, has filed a report about the 40 people who are reported to have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas across France in recent days. Here is an extract from her story:
“There is a tragic scourge of drownings,” the French prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, said on Tuesday. “The latest figures we’ve received are 40 deaths since 18 June. Most of the victims are young people.”
Lecornu was preparing to chair a crisis meeting with ministers to address the ferocious early summer heatwave that has left parts of western France bracing for temperatures of up to 43C (109F).
“We’re experiencing an episode of exceptional intensity,” Lecornu said. “Every day and every night, local and national temperature records are being broken.”
The national weather service, Météo-France, said 54 departments had been placed under a red heatwave alert as “oppressive and exhausting” heat smothered about half of the country.
It said overnight temperatures were the hottest since record-keeping began in 1947.
Early on Tuesday, France’s national heat index, an average of the day and night-time highs measured at 30 weather stations across France, reached a record 21.6C, according to preliminary figures. The previous record of 21.4C was set on 25 July 2019.
Heat could quickly become a 'matter of life and death' for most vulnerable, IFRC warns
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned the heat could become a matter of life and death for the most vulnerable.
“The coming days pose serious health risks,” Mary Friel, the IFRC’s senior climate policy officer, told journalists in Geneva. “For thousands of people across Europe, extreme temperatures, without action, can quickly become a matter of life and death.”
As the Guardian’s Europe environment correspondent, Ajit Niranjan, notes in this useful explainer, older people, and particularly those with underlying illnesses, make up the bulk of heat-related deaths.
Poorer people – who are less likely to have air conditioning, well-insulated homes or access to green spaces – are also at greater risk. In order to keep cool in the heat, people are advised to keep hydrated, avoid the sun when it is strongest, limit strenuous physical activity and wear loose, light-coloured clothing when possible.
It is a sight normally reserved for snowy winters: this morning, a gritting machine was out in the Dutch city of Hilversum.
The municipality in the Netherlands announced that it would be spreading salt on its roads this week in order to cool down the asphalt and reduce the risk of damage.
Like the rest of Europe, this normally-temperate country is struggling with extreme heat, with temperatures this week expected to hit 38°C. A “heat protocol” is in force in six provinces, meaning speedy rescue rules for broken down vehicles, while businesses have reported a run on air conditioning machines.
In Amsterdam, municipal shelters have opened in 12 locations to offer respite from the heat – everywhere from a supermarket to a community farm. A team of energy coaches has been going door-to-door with simple fixes such as stick-on exterior heat shields for windows. Some schools have moved to a “tropical” shorter timetable, and in Assen, in the northeast province of Drenthe, 13 nurseries have closed.
Last week, Eline Coolen, heat coordinator at the public health institute in Amsterdam went viral with an appeal for people to prevent the sun from even reaching their windows, if necessary by draping their curtains outside.
Met Office warns temperatures could hit 39C
The UK Met Office said temperatures could reach a maximum of 39C on Thursday, most likely for somewhere in London or the South East, with higher temperatures “possible”.
UK Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge, said: “The Met Office is flagging 39C as a headline maximum temperature on Thursday, most likely for somewhere in London or the South East.
“Forecast temperature values are indicative and are subject to a slight range either side.
“It is possible we could see temperatures higher than the 39C if the final values are at the upper end of our narrow range.
“It is important to remember that the temperature value is only one element of this extreme heatwave story.
“The other major factor is the high humidity which for many will make the intense heat even harder to endure.”
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Retailers in the UK are reporting soaring sales of fans, ice cream makers and sun cream as households try to cope with the extreme heat.
Currys claimed it had seen an almost 1,500% increase in customers searching for fans on its website compared with last weekend, and a 3,500% increase in searches for air conditioning products over the same period.
Lakeland said sales of electric fans were up by more than 100% on the previous four weeks, while sales of cool bags for transporting food were up 262% and sales of ice cream makers were up by more than 500% on some lines.
John Lewis said sales of pizza ovens had soared by 557% week on week, while searches on JohnLewis.com for “Silk scarf” were up 200% on last week.
Tesco is predicting a 60% increase in sales of ice, a 48% increase in sales of ice cream and ice lollies, and a 44% spike in sales of barbecue meat.
Aldi, which has re-stocked its shelves with its previously sold-out collapsible pet pool and freezable chew toys, is also predicting it will sell one million burgers this week – a 50% jump on last week.
It is also preparing for a 30% surge in beer sales and to sell more than 500,000 bottles of its Lacura Sun Cream – an 80% week-on-week increase.
Train operators are warning people to travel on Wednesday and Thursday only if it cannot be avoided.
GWR said: “Extreme heat can cause rails to expand and buckle, so when temperatures reach certain thresholds, trains must run more slowly to keep services safe. This will mean fewer trains and slightly longer journey times during the warmest periods of each day.
“Prolonged high temperatures can also affect equipment on our older regional train fleet, including engines and cooling systems. This means there may be some short-notice changes or cancellations, particularly during the hottest parts of the day.”
Bristol airport has said that several lightning strikes on Tuesday damaged air traffic communications systems, leading to cancellations and diversions.
A spokesperson said: “An electrical storm over the airport caused damage to air traffic communications equipment, impacting both primary and backup systems. Engineers were quickly on site and worked to identify and then fix what was found to be complex damage to equipment.
“Unfortunately, flights had to be cancelled and diverted during this time and we’re sorry to all passengers who suffered disruption caused by the weather event. Early indications are that several lightning strikes caused damage to equipment.”
Eiffel Tower in Paris closes early
The operator of the Eiffel Tower in Paris has said the attraction will close early on Tuesday due to the heatwave.
An event about extreme heat for London Climate Action Week has had to be cancelled due to the extreme heat warning.
Scheduled to be held at the London School of Economics Shaw Library in central London on Wednesday, the event was set to consider improving extreme heat governance and action around the world.
The event would have brought together expertise from the LSE Grantham Research Institute, including Lord Nicholas Stern, and Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance partners Mercy Corps, Practical Action and the IFRC.
A short message on the LSE website read: “We regret that this event has been cancelled due to the red extreme heat warning issued by the UK Met Office.”
As record June temperatures disrupt daily life across the continent, the European Green Party warns the crisis has been worsened by political failures to act.
European Green Party Co-Chair Vula Tsetsi said:
As Europe endures record temperatures, the European People’s Party and the far right are still trying to roll back the Green Deal. You cannot claim to care about people’s safety while dismantling the laws that protect them from extreme weather events, such as the Nature Restoration Law or forest protection regulation. While citizens bear the cost, the political right-wing parties continue to prioritise the demands of fossil fuel and corporate lobbies over the public interest. The science is clear. The consequences are visible. The excuses have run out.
In Bristol, the city council said it had activated its severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) to help people sleeping rough.
The St Mungo’s centre is operating as a daytime cool space and outreach workers are on patrol providing water, sunscreen and advice. Bottles of water are also being distributed outside city hall by volunteers and council workers.
The UK’s department for education has published guidance for schools and education settings on how to keep children safe in these unusually warm temperatures, including wearing loose, light-coloured clothes, hydrating and trying to stay indoors as much as possible.
It also details for symptoms of heatstroke and heat exhaustion.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include:
• tiredness
• dizziness
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
Symptoms of heatstroke may include:
• confusion or lack of co-ordination
• seizures (fits)
• loss of consciousness
• high body temperature – a temperature of or above 40°C (104°F)
• red, hot skin that can be sweaty or dry
• fast heartbeat
• fast shallow breathing
• diarrhoea
If you suspect a child may be suffering from heat exhaustion, you should try and cool them as quickly as possible, using fans, using wet sponges or gently spraying them with water.
If you’re concerned that a child is suffering from heat stroke, contact the emergency services.
Temperatures could soar to 45C by 2056, scientists say
50 years after the summer heatwave of 1976 (see earlier post), scientists in the UK’s Met Office have developed what they call a “plausible 2056 scenario,” which forecasts the impact of similar heat events on the future.
Based on 2.5C of global heating, temperatures in England could hit 45C, while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland would face 41C, 38C and 30C respectively.
In that scenario, a prolonged heatwave could continue across a fortnight, including nine days in a row where temperatures would be above 40C.
“Weather is the national conversation in the UK and the summer of 1976 lives on in many memories. Since then, our climate has fundamentally changed, with average UK summers having warmed by around 1.4°C. Crucially extremes have changed too,” Professor Stephen Belcher said.
To be clear, this isn’t a forecast of what will happen, but a scientifically plausible scenario.
Remembering summer 1976: how the historic heatwave has become our new normal
The summer of 1976 is seared into national memory as one of record heat. Harvests failed, farmers despaired, Britain imported an extra million tonnes of grain, food prices rose by 12%, taps ran dry, and each day, 250 people died from heat-related deaths.
The heatwave, which began 50 years ago on Tuesday, brought 15 consecutive days on which the peak temperature was above 32C. Half a century later and 32C no longer feels shocking.
On Monday the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued its second-ever red heat health alert for six regions of England, while the Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday. With temperatures predicted to pass 40C, people are being advised to close doors and windows and shut curtains to stay cool at home.
“When I was a child, sunny summer days felt exciting. I do not want drawn curtains and closed windows to become the defining image of [my child’s] summer,” said Stephanie Robson, of Parents for Future, in a moving address with her six-month-old child at a summer of 1976 anniversary event organised by the University of Reading, Newcastle University and the Royal Meteorological Society in partnership with the Met Office.
The event, held in an air-conditioned basement in King’s Cross, brought together MPs, policymakers and members of the public spanning multiple generations, several of whose phones lit up as the UKHSA issued its red warning.
While the 1976 heatwave was an extraordinary weather event, it took place in a much cooler world. In the past 50 years, average global temperatures have risen by about 1C. But for southern England, this number is between 3C and 4C.
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The UK breakdown service, the RAC, has said it is dealing with 10% more breakdowns than usual at this time of year and it anticipates that demand will “increase significantly as temperatures peak”.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Our patrols are currently dealing with 10% more breakdowns than we would normally see on a Tuesday at this point in the summer, but we’re expecting demand to increase significantly as temperatures peak, possibly at record levels, over the next few days.
“And, as rail services have been reduced due to the heat, more people are likely to take to the roads, adding to the traffic and increasing the risk of vehicles overheating.
“Anyone driving a vehicle that’s overdue a service is running the risk of breaking down in scorching heat which could prove to be extremely dangerous.
“Carrying an emergency kit in case of getting stuck at the side of the road is essential.
“This should include plenty of water, sunscreen, a large umbrella to protect from the sun and portable battery pack to keep mobile phones charged.”
'London is cooking,' says UN secretary general, as he urges world to act on fossil fuels
London is “cooking”, according to the head of the United Nations.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, referenced Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities in a major address at London Climate Action Week as the capital swelters in a severe heatwave.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, Guterres said: “Crisis brings clarity and here in London – the city of Dickens – it is clear that our world is facing a ‘tale of two crises’.
“A climate crisis is pushing us deeper towards higher temperatures and closer to catastrophic tipping points and an energy crisis is exposing the folly of a world hooked on hydrocarbons.
“On the surface, these crises may seem separate, but they share the same destructive origin: fossil fuels.”
“London isn’t just calling. It’s cooking,” the UN chief added.
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Heat alerts in Spain reach highest warning level for some regions
Nearly all of Spain was under a heat alert on Tuesday, with parts of the south and north of the country placed on the highest warning level, AFP reports.
National weather agency AEMET issued red alerts – a warning for “extraordinary danger” – for areas around the southern city of Cordoba, the northern city of Bilbao and parts of the northern region of Cantabria.
Temperatures of up to 40C in the shade were forecast in parts of the Basque Country on the border with France, an area where such extreme heat is relatively uncommon.
Large swathes of central and northern Spain were placed under orange alerts – the second-highest level– while most of the remainder of the country was covered by yellow warnings. Only areas on the coastline escaped heat alerts.
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France experiences hottest night since records began
France experienced its hottest night from Monday to Tuesday since measurements began in 1947, the national weather agency said.
The national temperature indicator – an average of readings from 30 stations across France – reached 21.6C, according to preliminary figures taken Tuesday morning. The previous record was 21.4C, set on July 25, 2019.
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European heatwave triggers surge in electricity market prices and shuts down French nuclear plant
The heatwave has triggered a surge in electricity market prices across Europe this week to levels usually reserved for the middle of winter.
As millions turn to air conditioning to counter the rising temperatures, the high pressure heat dome affecting much of Europe has caused wind speeds to drop, limiting the continent’s renewable energy.
The higher temperatures also led to the unplanned shutdown of a major French nuclear plant by limiting its access to cooling water needed to run its reactors. French utility EDF expects the reactor to remain offline until temperatures return to normal next week.
The combination of rising electricity demand and falling low-carbon generation has caused prices to climb to multi-year highs.
In Germany, Europe’s biggest electricity market, wholesale prices will reach highs of €545.51 per megawatt-hour this evening, the highest since June 2024, according to the Epex Spot exchange.
In France, the price at the same time will climb to €268.67 per megawatt-hour, the highest since August 2023. UK power markets show a price of almost £230/MWh for this evening from 8pm, almost three times the average price of £86.28/MWh in June last year.
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Poland is bracing for the heatwave to hit this weekend as it moves eastwards from France and Germany. Temperatures are expected to peak on Sunday, reaching up to 38C in the capital, Warsaw, and up to 41C in the Lower Silesia region.
If the forecasts are accurate, temperatures could smash the June record for Poland – 38.2C, set in 2019 – or even the all-time national record of 40.2C from 1921.
The government’s security agency, the RCB, has issued advice urging Poles to limit time spent outdoors, drink plenty of water and cover their heads when in direct sunlight.
Fire services in west of England warn of wildfire risks
Fire services are worried that there could be a spate of wildfires in the hot weather.
Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue service asked farmers and businesses to postpone “controlled” burns.
It said on Tuesday: “To reduce the risk of wildfires during these hot and dry conditions, we urge everyone to refrain from conducting prescribed or controlled burns unless absolutely essential. These fires can easily spiral out of control and spread rapidly.”
Devon and Somerset fire and rescue service issued wider advice including:
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Don’t have campfires or barbecues in the countryside. Only have them in safe designated areas.
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Avoid having bonfires in very dry weather. If you must have a bonfire,
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Glass in direct sunlight can cause fires - ensure there is none lying around.
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Here are some of the latest photos from the heatwave in Europe.
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People are already paying the price for the UK government’s inaction in protecting them from the climate crisis, says Holly Brazier Tope, Director of Politics at the Green Alliance.
“We built and planned our homes and communities for a UK that isn’t this hot, and right now, people are paying the price. Schools are closing early, NHS appointments are being cancelled, trains are running late. This is the reality of climate change on our doorstep and successive governments have left people to face it unprotected. Without urgent action, 92% of existing homes could overheat by mid-century and heat-related deaths could rise to 10,000 a year.
“In the summer of 2022, we lost more people to heat than were killed on our roads in the entire year. And yet government did not act. This is not a future threat. It is here, it is now, and it is the consequence of inaction. This government must respond fast with a systemic, nationwide response that delivers smarter planning, community resilience, protection now and net zero for the future.”
You can read the recent verdict of the UK government’s official advisers, the Climate Change Committee here: UK ‘built for climate that no longer exists’ and needs urgent changes to survive global heating, report warns
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it had responded to around 400 calls overnight, including two house fires believed to be caused by lightning strikes and flooding of homes.
Thunderstorms following soaring temperatures caused flash flooding in the capital, the LFB said as it urged drivers not to drive through flooded areas.
Storms and heavy rain bring disruption to London transport
There is severe disruption across London’s transport network on Tuesday, in part caused by the extreme weather.
On the Elizabeth Line, heavy rain has caused flooding which means there is no service between Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 and Heathrow Terminal 4, Transport for London said. Meanwhile, there are severe delays between Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5 and Reading due to an earlier points failure at Southall.
There are also severe delays on the Mildmay Line, which is running a reduced service because of the hot weather.
The Metropolitan Line remains partly suspended between Baker Street and Aldgate, while the Hammersmith and City Line is also suspended between Barking and Moorgate. The entire Circle Line has been suspended, as have parts of the District Line.
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The UK Met Office said 29,074 lightning strikes have been recorded in the UK in the last 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday.
All of these strikes were over England, with the majority – 18,540 – over Somerset.
The Met Office’s lightning map also shows there have been hundreds more strikes across south-east England on Tuesday morning.
The highest overnight temperature was 20.4C in Gosport, Hampshire, while eight other place recorded a tropical night, meaning one where temperatures do not fall below 20C.
These were Crosby, in Merseyside, Plymouth and North Wyke, in Devon, Aberporth, Cardiff and St Athan in Wales, Hurn in Dorset and the Isle of Wight.
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Italy’s health ministry has declared a red heatwave alert in 15 cities including Milan and Rome on Tuesday and said the number would go up to 16 on Wednesday.
During a red alert – the highest level – the ministry advises people to eat light, stay indoors in the hottest parts of the day and sprinkle themselves with cool water.
Here are the UK temperature milestones that could be passed during the current heatwave, according to data published by the UK’s Met Office.
35.1C
The highest temperature so far this year, measured at Kew Gardens in London on 26 May.
It also set a new record for the highest May temperature since comparable Met Office data began in 1884.
35.6C
The highest June temperature on record.
It was set on 29 June 1957 at Camden Square in London, then equalled on 28 June 1976 at Mayflower Park in Southampton.
35.8C
The highest temperature recorded in the UK last year.
It was reached on 1 July 2025 at Faversham in Kent.
40C
A temperature threshold that has been passed only once since Met Office records began, on 19 July 2022.
Five Met Office weather stations measured temperatures above 40C on this date, three in London (Heathrow, Kew Gardens and Northolt), one in Lincolnshire (Coningsby) and one in Nottinghamshire (Gringley on the Hill).
40.3C
The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK.
The figure was reached on 19 July 2022 at Coningsby in Lincolnshire.
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Birds such as swifts, swallows, sparrows and starlings – which make their nests in the eaves of roofs – have been particularly affected by abnormally high temperatures, a specialist says.
“Temperatures on the roofs can sometimes reach 50, even 60 degrees Celsius, So they prefer to jump rather than let themselves die and literally cook in their nests,” said Romaine de Jaegere, founder of the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Animals Living in the Wild refuge in Temploux in Belgium.
The shelter had received 150 animals in the past three days, he said, quoted by Reuters.
Here are some of the latest images coming in via the news wires as people seek relief from the intense heat around Europe.
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Climate change fuels surge in global heat stress – study
The number of people exposed to dangerous heat stress worldwide has risen sharply over the last half century propelled by climate change, according to a study released as Europe sweltered through a punishing heatwave.
Heat stress – the name given to the hazardous build-up of body heat caused by soaring temperatures, humidity and other factors – is one of the most common ways that weather kills people.
The new study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change on Monday, tracked how heat stress levels surged between the 1970s and 2024.
“On every continent, strong to extreme heat stress is now more frequent,” said lead study author Rebecca Emerton, of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
In the 1970s, for example, 16% of the world’s population experienced at least one day of extreme heat stress – when the “feels-like” temperature was at least 46C.
Fifty years later, the rate has risen to 22%.
Emerton said:
That might not sound like so much. But that’s an extra approximately one billion people that are seeing at least some extreme heat stress now that wouldn’t have done in the 1970s.
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Scores of schools across England and Wales announced they would close or finish early this week to protect pupils amid the extreme heat, while transport bosses have warned people against all but essential travel.
The Buckingham School in Buckinghamshire, for example, said it would be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, and asked students to take part in online learning.
St John’s Marlborough in Wiltshire said it would close early on Tuesday and be shut all day on Wednesday and Thursday before reopening on Friday, PA Media is reporting.
The National Association of Head Teachers said it had written to all its members with guidance on dealing with the heat this week, including the impact on pupils and staff, legal positions and when to consider closure.
Advice has also been issued for transport users, with Network Rail warning passengers should “only travel if absolutely essential on Wednesday and Thursday”, saying that “extreme heat can have a significant impact on the railway”.
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The heatwave affecting large parts of Europe is known as an Omega block because it takes the shape of the Greek letter, with a bulge of hot air in the middle and cooler air either side, an expert says.
“It’s drawing warm air up from North Africa, from the Sahara, and that’s why we have this really intense heat,” said Clair Barnes, a climate scientist at Imperial College in London, quoted by Reuters.
It’s very slow moving and it means there’s kind of no wind, no breeze for respite.
Heatwaves and storms were being intensified by climate change, pushing temperatures higher and causing more rainfall, she said.
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Health warnings issued to English regions amid heat's 'risk to life'
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a red health warning for six regions of England from 1am on Wednesday until 11pm on Thursday.
This indicates “a risk to life for even the healthy population” as well as impacts beyond health and social care, with potential effects on transport systems, food, water, energy supplies and businesses.
The six regions are the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, South West, London and east of England.
It is the second red heat health warning to be issued, after the first in July 2022 when temperatures soared above 40C in the UK for the first time, PA Media reports.
A separate amber health alert has also been put in place for the North West, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber for the same period, the health security agency said, meaning the impact was expected to be felt across the whole of the health service in these areas.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, the agency’s head of extreme events and health protection, said:
It is vitally important that people understand the risk posed by high temperatures like these, and take steps to keep themselves and their friends, families and neighbours safe.
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UK red alert warns of 'severe' impacts from heat
With temperatures forecast to reach 38-40C in parts of England and Wales, Britain’s national weather forecaster issued a rare red weather warning covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday.
These were reserved for the most severe events, the Met Office said, meaning this heatwave was expected to bring “severe and significant impacts” including widespread health risks for many – not just those who were normally more vulnerable to the heat – and even danger to life.
The alert also warned that “substantial changes” in working practices and daily routines would be required, and indicated a high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, bringing the loss of power and other essential services, such as water, electricity, gas or mobile phone services, PA Media reports.
An amber weather warning is also in place for a larger area of England and Wales between Monday and Thursday.
A yellow warning for thunderstorms was in place until 9pm on Monday, covering an area stretching between Bristol and Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
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Opening summary: UK heat set to break records; half of France under red alert after deaths
Welcome to today’s coverage of the deadly heatwave in Europe.
Rare red warnings have been issued in the UK over extreme temperatures that are set to hit record highs for June this week as a fierce heatwave grips Europe.
Forecasters say the heatwave could see temperatures hit 38C to 40C in some parts of England and Wales, smashing the June record set in 1976 by several degrees as human-driven climate change intensifies the impact of a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe.
In France a heatwave red alert has been issued to more than half of the country’s departments, affecting about 39 million people, and at least 18 have died – including two children left in a hot car – since the weekend.
French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu was scheduled to hold a crisis meeting on Tuesday, an aide said. More than 1,350 schools have been shut due to the heat.
The UK’s hot conditions – which had been very rare there until now – would be accompanied by high humidity and very warm nights, which would make it hard for people to recover overnight, forecasters said.
Italy on Monday issued heatwave red alerts for 12 cities. In France a nuclear plant in the south-west near Toulouse switched off a reactor because cooling water drawn from a nearby river had got too warm, a spokesperson said.
In other developments:
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In south-east France, emergency services were unable to resuscitate two children, aged two and four, who were found unconscious by their mother in the family car outside their home on Monday, a prosecutor in Carpentras said.
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The deaths followed those of three elderly people, aged between 80 and 95, who died near Bordeaux over the weekend as a result of health problems caused by the extreme temperatures, an official said. Thirteen more drowned in swimming accidents.
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In San Sebastian, in Spain’s traditionally cooler north, the temperature was set to reach 40C, more than double the city’s historic average for 22 June, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.
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Belgium’s heatwave is forecast to last a week with temperatures “the hottest ever recorded”, warned the IRM meteorological institute’s head of forecasting.
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Paris was due to register its highest temperature for June, reaching 38.4C, according to preliminary numbers from the Meteo-France.
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Germany saw a spike in fatal swimming accidents, with authorities reporting five deaths over the weekend. Police said on Monday that several heat-stricken passengers were treated by emergency services at Frankfurt airport the previous day after their plane was held for more than an hour on the apron before take-off.
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In Spain, temperatures were 5-10C above normal for this time of year, and more than 10C in some northern areas, the Aemet weather agency said.
With news agencies
Updated
