Eastern Europe Braces for 40C Heat as France Reports 1,000 Excess Deaths
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 28
Eastern Europe Braces for 40C Heat as France Reports 1,000 Excess Deaths
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 28
Summary
More than 191 million people across Europe faced at least 35C on Sunday as the heatwave pushed east, with Poland, Czechia and Slovakia preparing for temperatures above 40C and possible national records.
41C temperatures were forecast in Czechia after a 40.6C record on Saturday, while Poland’s 40.2C mark from 1921 and Slovakia’s 40.3C record from 2007 were both at risk of being broken.
1,000 additional deaths were recorded in France between June 24 and 27, provisional data showed, with the sharpest rise among people dying at home in the Paris region and most victims over 65.
122,000 ambulance call-outs were logged during France’s hottest period, and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said hospitals and emergency services would remain under pressure for days.
327 preliminary heat-linked deaths were reported in Spain, while storms on the edge of the heatwave injured people, cut power to more than 60,000 French homes and killed one person in Belgium.
Beyond A/C, what radical urban redesign can stop Europe's cities from becoming deadly heat traps?
As Europe warms twice as fast as the global average, is its infrastructure becoming fundamentally obsolete?
Europe’s Deadliest Heatwave Yet: 2026 Crisis Exposes Climate Vulnerabilities and Calls for Urgent Action
Overview
Europe is facing a severe and expanding heatwave in June 2026, with record-breaking temperatures causing major impacts on people and infrastructure. This crisis is driven by human-induced climate change, as over a century of carbon emissions has warmed the planet and trapped extra heat at the Earth's surface. As a result, typical summer weather now brings much hotter days and nights, making extreme heatwaves more frequent and dangerous. The ongoing situation highlights the urgent need for both immediate responses and long-term strategies to protect public health and critical services across the continent.