BERLIN, Germany – A powerful heat wave pushed across central and eastern Europe on Saturday, setting temperature records in several countries and placing growing pressure on transportation networks, hospitals and emergency services as authorities urged residents to protect themselves from dangerous conditions.
According to national meteorological agencies and official statements, record-breaking temperatures were recorded in Switzerland, Denmark and the Czech Republic as the intense heat that affected western Europe earlier in the week expanded eastward.
Denmark’s Meteorological Institute reported a record temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Ødum, north of Aarhus, marking the country’s hottest day since weather records began in 1874.
Switzerland also registered a new high, with authorities reporting 38.8 C (101.8 F) in the city of Basel. In the Czech Republic, forecasters said temperatures climbed to 40.8 C (105.4 F) in the northern town of Doksany, the highest level ever recorded in the country.
Heat Disrupts Transport in Germany
Germany faced widespread disruption as temperatures approached 40 C (104 F). Sections of the country’s transportation infrastructure were damaged after extreme heat caused concrete on parts of the A2 Autobahn outside Berlin to buckle, forcing temporary road closures. German newspaper Bild also reported additional highway damage elsewhere in the country.
Rail operator Deutsche Bahn advised passengers to avoid nonessential travel over the weekend, saying record temperatures were significantly affecting Germany’s transport infrastructure.
In the western city of Dormagen, emergency responders evacuated dozens of residents from a nursing home after indoor temperatures reached 35 C (95 F). Local authorities said one resident died overnight, although officials told German news agency dpa that it had not been determined whether the death was related to the heat.
French Hospitals Experience Increased Demand
France continued to face heavy pressure on its healthcare system despite forecasts suggesting the most intense phase of the heat wave was beginning to ease in some regions.
Paris and 36 surrounding regions remained under the country’s highest-level heat alert on Saturday. The Paris public hospital authority, AP-HP, said it activated emergency response measures across its 38 hospitals after nearly 3,000 people sought treatment in emergency departments for a second consecutive day, roughly one-third above normal levels.
The hospital authority also reported that calls to its medical dispatch centers had risen by nearly 80% compared with the same period in 2025.
Concerns over the strain on emergency services contributed to the postponement of the Paris Pride march and the cancellation of a three-day music festival.
AP-HP Director Nicolas Revel said he does not expect fatalities to reach the level seen during the devastating 2003 European heat wave, citing improvements in medical treatment for heat-related illnesses. However, he warned that deaths were still expected as temperatures remained exceptionally high.
France’s public health authority previously attributed more than 5,700 deaths to heat during another exceptionally hot summer last year.
United Kingdom and Italy Remain on Alert
In the United Kingdom, weather conditions were expected to gradually improve over the weekend, although an amber heat warning remained in effect through Saturday night.
Officials confirmed that Friday became the hottest June day on record after a provisional temperature of 37.3 C (99 F) was recorded in eastern England, surpassing the previous June record established in 1976.
Police also reported that the bodies of a 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy were recovered from separate bodies of water on Saturday, bringing the number of heat-related fatalities reported in the U.K. during the week to four. Authorities continued to warn against swimming in unsupervised locations.
Italy also remained under intense heat conditions. The country’s Health Ministry placed 18 cities, including Rome, Venice, Florence, Bologna and Milan, under red alert because of the health risks posed by the high temperatures.
Tourists in Rome sought relief by staying in shaded areas, using public drinking fountains and purchasing water, hats and umbrellas as temperatures remained elevated.
Climate Study Links Heat to Global Warming
A study released Friday by World Weather Attribution, a Europe-based collaboration of scientists, concluded that this week’s extreme heat and humidity would not have been possible without climate change.
The researchers said such conditions would have been virtually impossible five decades ago and estimated that similar events are now around 200 times more likely than they were 20 years ago.
Speaking to The Associated Press, COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago said the widespread heat had reinforced the urgency of international efforts to address climate change, adding that the conditions being experienced across Europe underscored the need for faster global action.
Tags: Europe, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Heatwave, Climate Change, Public Health, Extreme Weather
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