Over 1,300 dead as Europe battles record-breaking heatwave

A severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has claimed more than 1,300 lives and shattered temperature records in several countries, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to warn that the continent remains dangerously vulnerable to the growing impacts of climate change.

According to the WHO, more than 1,300 excess deaths have been linked to extreme temperatures since June 21, as the heatwave spread from the Iberian Peninsula across Western, Central and Southern Europe. An estimated 150 million people have been placed under severe heat warnings.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described heat stress as a “silent killer,” warning that many homes, schools and workplaces across Europe were not designed to withstand such extreme temperatures.

He noted that Europe is warming at twice the global average, adding that climate change has made what were once considered “once-in-a-generation” heatwaves almost an annual occurrence.

The heatwave, driven by a high-pressure weather system known as an “omega block,” pushed temperatures between five and 10 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages, leading to a series of record-breaking highs across the continent.

Germany recorded its hottest day on record, with temperatures reaching 41.7 degrees Celsius in Coschen near the Polish border. Czechia registered 41.9 degrees Celsius in Doksany, while Poland broke its 105-year-old national temperature record with 40.5 degrees Celsius in Słubice. Denmark also recorded its highest temperature since records began in 1874, reaching 36.6 degrees Celsius near Odense.

The extreme weather has placed enormous pressure on infrastructure across Europe. Electricity grids have struggled to meet soaring demand for cooling, schools have suspended classes in some areas, and Germany’s rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, advised passengers to avoid non-essential travel due to heat-related disruptions.

In Berlin, police deployed water cannons near the Brandenburg Gate to spray cooling mist on residents and tourists seeking relief from the scorching temperatures.

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France has emerged as one of the worst-hit countries, with Public Health France reporting about 1,000 provisional excess deaths during the peak of the heatwave. Most of the fatalities occurred in the country’s 58 departments placed under the highest red alert.

Authorities also reported at least 40 drowning deaths in France as people sought relief in rivers, lakes and other open waters. Emergency medical services in several European cities have experienced a sharp increase in ambulance callouts.

The heatwave has also heightened wildfire risks. In eastern Germany, firefighters battled a blaze in a forested former munitions site near Traisen, forcing about 650 residents to evacuate.

Climate scientists say the extreme temperatures bear the clear fingerprints of global warming. A rapid analysis by the World Weather Attribution group concluded that human-induced climate change made the current heatwave approximately three degrees Celsius hotter than similar events in the past.

The WHO and the European Commission have urged governments across the continent to strengthen heat-health action plans, improve early warning systems, expand access to cooling centres and adapt urban infrastructure to better cope with increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves.

Health experts warned that without significant investments in climate adaptation, Europe is likely to face even greater health and economic impacts from future extreme weather events.