Temperature records shattered in Europe as deadly heatwave moves east

From Scandinavia to the Alps, Europeans endured sweltering conditions on Saturday as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths spread east, shattering records with temperatures in some areas soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Preliminary all-time temperature records were set on Saturday in Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic, and a new mark for the month of June in Switzerland. Similar records had been broken earlier this week in France and Britain.

Scientists said the stifling heatwave would have been virtually impossible without man-made climate change, which has made this week's night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago.

"This heat isn't pleasant summer weather. It's a health crisis," Katrin Goering-Eckardt, a German federal lawmaker and former parliamentary leader of the Green Party, said on X.

Such was the heat in Berlin, where temperatures climbed to 39 C on Saturday, that police deployed two water cannons in the city to lightly spray people trying to cool down.

Saturday's new preliminary German record of 41.5 C in Moeckern-Drewitz in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt topped a record set just the day before of 41.3 C near Saarbruecken on the French border, Germany's Meteorological Service said.

The Danish Meteorological Institute meanwhile reported a 37 C reading north of the city of Aarhus on Saturday, the highest on record since measurements began in 1874.

Officials in the Czech Republic measured a record 40.9 C north of Prague, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said.

In the Slovak capital Bratislava, authorities recorded the hottest night on record on Friday.

People urged to save water

German authorities issued extreme heat warnings nearly nationwide on Saturday. As the heatwave moved east, temperatures rose well above 30 C across almost all of Poland.

The heating up of the River Danube led Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant to cut output on one of its reactors. Earlier, Switzerland's Beznau nuclear power station temporarily shut down its reactors due to the temperature of the River Aare.

In France, dozens of people, both young and old, have died due to the heatwave. Temperatures above 40 C have disrupted rail travel and power generation, sparked alcohol bans, suspended classes and postponed outdoor events.

France's government said summer sales would be extended this year after a slow start due to the heatwave.

Italy's health ministry issued a red alert for the heatwave in 18 cities including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna for Saturday and Sunday.

The flow of the River Po has dropped dramatically, with seawater advancing deep inland, posing threats to local farming and the ecosystem of Italy's most important waterway.

Even at night in the Alps there was little relief, with temperatures in Bolzano in Italy's South Tyrol never falling below 25.4 C, the city's meteorologist Dieter Peterlin said, a June record. Ecologists fear for Europe's glaciers.

Free cancellations to reduce rail travel

Struggling with the prospect of damage to infrastructure, including buckling roads and swelling train tracks, some rail providers have sought to reduce traffic.

German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn allowed customers to cancel long-distance travel into early next week. Another operator, National Express, said it suspended some trains on Saturday afternoon in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, as a precaution.

Near Hamburg, the main traffic lane on one of Germany's busiest motorways was partially closed after heat split the asphalt.

In Switzerland, the Lausanne Pride march had extra water fountains and first responders, while Milan's Pride march was pushed back until 5pm (1500 GMT) to curb the heat's impact.

The Ironman European Championship long-distance triathlon taking place on Sunday in Frankfurt shortened the cycling and running courses due to the heat.

Record temperatures driven by 'Omega Block' phenomenon

The most extreme heat is forecast to begin fading over the weekend, with heavy thunderstorms expected on Sunday. Paris said it would close its parks, gardens and the Canal Saint-Martin swimming area early on Saturday due to storm forecasts.

Across Europe, cultural landmarks have had to close, farming has suffered, and some hospitals have struggled to cope.

The heatwave has pushed temperatures well above their seasonal average, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor, driven by a phenomenon known as an Omega block because of a shape similar to the Greek letter.

This weather pattern traps a bulging ball of hot air over regions for extended periods, with cooler air on its fringes.