All-time temperature records have tumbled across Central and Eastern Europe, with the mercury soaring past 40°C in multiple nations as the brutal heatwave that claimed hundreds of lives in the west continues its relentless march across the continent.
Records shatter from Germany to Poland
The full fury of the climate-driven heatwave gripped Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary on Sunday, pushing national temperature records to dangerous new extremes. More than 191 million Europeans are currently sweltering under temperatures of at least 35°C, with red alerts for extreme heat issued across vast swathes of the region.
Germany recorded a blistering new national high of 41.7°C in Koschen, near the Polish border in eastern Brandenburg, preliminary data from the national meteorological service showed. The reading smashed the previous record of 41.5°C, which had been set just a day earlier in Drewitz.
Trapped by history: Wildfires and unexploded bombs
The intense heat sparked treacherous wildfires, particularly in areas contaminated by the remnants of war. Firefighters tackling a blaze in a forest near Gerischheide, eastern Germany, found their operations severely hampered by old munitions. At a former ammunition dump close to the village of Treisen in the south-west, a major firefighting operation was suspended after explosions were heard, the DPA news agency reported.
Emergency services were forced to briefly withdraw and call in bomb disposal experts. As the fire advanced on Sunday, roughly 650 residents in Treisen were ordered to evacuate their homes.
In Berlin, police deployed water cannons into the air to offer some respite to wilting residents and tourists, while national rail operator Deutsche Bahn advised passengers to avoid non-essential travel.
A 105-year-old record falls
Poland witnessed its hottest day in over a century. The town of Słubice, on the German border, recorded a temperature of 40.5°C, breaking a 105-year-old record of 40.2°C from 1921. The government’s security agency issued mass text alerts urging people to “avoid the sun and physical exertion,” drink plenty of water, and wear head coverings. Emergency cooling curtains were deployed in many cities.
The Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute confirmed a record 41.9°C in Dokšany, warning ominously that “the temperature continues to rise, this is not the final maximum.” Further along the heatwave’s path, Hungary also broke its historical record for the date with 40.7°C in Budakalász, while Slovakia recorded 39.3°C in the town of Mužla. The extraordinary heat had already reached Scandinavia the day before, with Denmark registering its highest temperature since records began in 1874, hitting 36.6°C north of Odense.
A mounting death toll in France
As the heat shifts east, western nations are beginning to reckon with its lethal toll. France’s national public health agency reported that over 1,000 more deaths were registered between June 24 and 27 compared to previous months. Officials warn these preliminary figures are expected to rise significantly.
The sharpest increase in mortality was among people dying at home, particularly in the Île-de-France region, which encompasses Paris and its suburbs. While the majority of victims were over 65, young people have also been affected.
“This serves as a reminder of the need for measures of solidarity towards people who are isolated or experience profound loneliness, including in highly urbanised areas,” the health agency said in a statement.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warned that hospitals and emergency services would remain under intense strain in the coming days. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez noted that ambulance crews responded to more than 122,000 call-outs during the peak of the heat emergency.
Preliminary figures from Spain indicate at least 327 people died from Sunday to Thursday in circumstances potentially linked to the heat. Meanwhile in Belgium, media reported one person was killed in a Brussels suburb after a tree fell onto their car during violent storms that swept across much of the country following the extreme heat.
