• Europe is being blasted by another massive heat wave, that could break records again, one month after some countries experienced their highest-ever temperatures.
• Two swimmers were found dead this week in England in the high heat, and two more are missing.
• One French city has already set a new heat record, while temperatures across France, England, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany are expected to peak on Thursday.
• Countries are on high alert as Paris, France, could reach 42 C (107.6 F), while parts of Germany could reach 41 C (105.8 F), and parts of Belgium are forecast to reach 40 C (104 F).

Europe is battling a second extreme heat wave of the summer, which could break temperature records, and has already been associated with at least two deaths.

The heat is blasting northern and western Europe with temperatures that have already beaten some all-time records, and is yet to peak.

Many places in Europe have not long recovered from a heatwave a few weeks ago which set new records.

London is expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, and temperatures in England could top the all-time record there of 38.5 C Celsius (101.3 F).

France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands are all preparing to be hit by extreme heat as well.

London’s Metropolitan police said Wednesday that it found the body of one man who went swimming in the Thames, and that it was still searching for two other men who went missing in the river.

Police also found a body in a water park in Gloucestershire, south-western England, on Tuesday.

Read more: How extreme summer heat affects your body and brain

Swimming-related deaths tend to spike in extreme heat as people enter bodies of water – like the Thames – which are rarely used for swimming.

The French city of Bordeaux hit its highest-ever recorded temperature on Tuesday, at 41.2 degrees C (106.1 F), and France’s emergency services are on high alert as temperatures are set to rise into Thursday.

Paris could then reach 42 C (107.6 Farenheit) – the highest temperature ever recorded in the city.

Read more: 6 unexpected ways to survive a heat wave without air conditioning, from freezing your sheets to practicing a ‘cooling breath’

German Meteorological Service DWD warned that temperatures could reach 41 C (105.8 F) in some parts of the country on Thursday.

Andreas Friedrich, a spokesperson for DWD, said: “If these predictions are met, this heatwave would go down in the history books

“As a meteorologist, I have never seen anything like this before.”

Brussels, Belgium, is forecast to reach 40 C on Thursday, and much of the country is on red alert, which Belgian authorities say are only issued for “extremely high temperatures.”

Read more: The climate crisis is inherently unfair. These 9 countries will get hit especially hard as the globe heats up.

The Netherlands is under an orange alert until Friday, with authorities implementing the country’s national heat plan. Parts of the country could reach 39 C (102.2 F) on Thursday. The current record is 38.6 C (101.5 F).

England’s public health service told people to “know the steps to take for keeping cool and that you’re looking out for those who are more vulnerable in the heat.”

The UK Met Office also urged people to look out for vulnerable people, like the elderly, and to keep out of direct sunlight. Train companies ran reduced services as they were forced to slow down to prevent railway lines from buckling in the heat.

According to The Local France, 80 of the 96 regions in mainland France are on alert because of the heat, and water restrictions are in place across the country.

Luxembourg, Italy, Austria, and Sweden are also facing temperatures higher than 30 degrees C (86 F).

The heat comes just one month after a huge heatwave gripped much of the continent, breaking June temperature records in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, giving France its highest-ever recorded temperature, and prompting one Spanish meteorologist to tweet: “Hell is coming.”

One French village recorded temperatures of 45.1 C (113.18 F), and France opened new public pools and parks in a bid to keep people cool and avoid a repeat of a 2003 heatwave was linked to the deaths of 15,000 French people.

June ended up being the hottest month ever on record around the world.

Much of the eastern US has also been hit by a heatwave this month, with “oppressive and dangerous” heat. </s> Huge wildfire in Spain as heatwave roasts Europe - but 'worst is still to come'

Huge wildfire in Spain as heatwave roasts Europe - but 'worst is still to come'

Hundreds of firefighters have struggled to contain a major wildfire in northeastern Spain on a day that has seen temperatures continue to soar across most of Europe.

France followed Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic in breaking its temperature record for June after an "enormous reservoir" of hot air from the Sahara engulfed the continent, which has seen a blaze spanning 5,500 hectares break out on hilly terrain near the Ebro River about 75 miles (121km) west of Barcelona.

The Spanish military has sent a unit of 120 specialists to help local firefighters battle the flames, which have sent thick plumes of smoke high into the air above the Catalonia region.

Miquel Buch, the local interior minister, said 20,000 hectares were under threat in what was the worst fire in the area in two decades, with a deposit of improperly stored chicken manure at a farm in Torre de l'Espanyol believed to have combusted due to the high temperatures and started the fire.

Spanish television showed horses and sheep left helpless as the fire engulfed the farm they were being kept on, and five roads have been closed to traffic.

The apocalyptic scenes came amid temperatures of close to 44C (111.2F), and the mercury also hit 41.8C (107.2F) in a southern region of France called Montclus.

It surpassed the previous national June record of 41.FC (106F), set on 21 June 2003.

French authorities have imposed restrictions on vehicles in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Strasbourg in a bid to curb air pollution during the heatwave, and some schools have closed and postponed summer exams.

Northern parts of the country have been placed on drought alert, with water supplies to businesses, farmers and residents restricted, and there is also a ban on the transportation of animals over fears for their safety.

In the south, four regions have been placed on red alert - the highest crisis level - with 76 on orange.

VigiMeteoFrance tweeted that 42.3C (108.1F) had been recorded in Grospierres - the highest June temperature on record for France. The highest the country has ever recorded is 44.1C (111.4F), which could be beaten tomorrow.

Health minister Agnes Buzyn said the heatwave was "unprecedented" and "exceptional in its intensity".

Calls to the emergency services are also up, with Jerome Saloman, head of national public health, reporting that four drownings had been recorded since the start of the week - directly linked to the heatwave as people try to cool off.

He added: "Calls to the emergency services are on the rise nationwide. We are seeing the beginning of a clear impact of the heatwave.

"For us the worst is still to come."

Grid operator RTE said electricity demand on Thursday was close to a summer record seen two years ago, as people turned on fans and coolers to full blast for relief from the scorching heat.

Temperatures have also soared close to 40C (104F) in other European countries, although there has been some relief for northern Germany, where the heat slipped to 21C (69.8F) in Berlin on Thursday - down from 37C (98.6F).

According to the Met Office, there have been temperatures of 38C (100.4F) in Milan, Italy, 35C (95F) in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, 34C (93.2F) in the Austrian capital of Vienna, and 33C (91.4F) in Bern, Switzerland.

That makes them all hotter than Athens in Greece, which so often sets the standards for European heatwaves, as well as traditionally warm cities elsewhere in the world like Tokyo in Japan and Los Angeles in the US.

Sky's Europe correspondent Mark Stone has been in Paris and said the extreme conditions had some worried.

He said: "We're used to temperature records being broken year on year almost, but it usually happens in August.

"The problem and the concern that analysts have about this temperature is that we've got a heatwave in June, which is very, very early, and because it's so early the humidity is much higher."

On Wednesday, a number of countries across the continent broke their June records.

German weather agency Deutscher Wetterdienst reported a preliminary reading of 38.6C (101.5F) in Coschen, near the border with Poland - a tenth of a degree celsius higher than the previous national record for June in 1947 in southwestern Germany.

Radzyn in Poland also recorded a new national high of 38.2C (100.76F), while Doksany in the Czech Republic experienced 38.9C (102.02F).

The heatwave is expected to continue into Friday and the weekend, when forecasters have said it will make its presence felt in earnest in the UK.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have already seen their highest temperatures of the year so far, but central and eastern England looks set to be even hotter on Saturday, with 34C (93.2F) on the cards for some.

For those at Glastonbury, Sky's weather producer Joanna Robinson has said the temperature record for the annual music festival could well be broken too.

It currently stands at 31.2C (88.2F), which was seen in 2017. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Simon King explains the causes behind the heatwave

A heatwave affecting much of Europe is expected to intensify further with countries - including France, Spain and Switzerland - expecting temperatures above 40C (104F) later on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic recorded their highest temperatures for June.

Meteorologists say hot air drawn in from northern Africa is responsible.

The heat is expected to rise further in many countries over the next three days, meteorologists warn.

By early afternoon, temperatures had reached 37C in Turin in Italy, 39C in the Spanish city of Zaragoza, and 39C in Avignon in southern France.

In Spain, 11 provinces in the east and centre of the country are set to experience temperatures above 40C.

In parts of the north-east, they may reach 45C on Friday.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Firefighters are battling huge blazes in Catalonia

Hundreds of firefighters are battling wildfires in Catalonia, described by the regional government as some of the worst in 20 years.

At least 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) are affected, but officials said that in the intense heat the area could increase to 20,000ha.

Thirty people have been evacuated and five roads have been closed.

Temperatures are expected to top 40C in Italy too, particularly in central and northern regions. Several cities, including Rome, have issued the highest heat warnings.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Milan also expects the mercury to top 40C on Thursday

On Thursday morning the body of a 72-year-old homeless Romanian man was found near Milan's central train station. Officials say the heat may have been a factor in his death.

Philip Trackfield, a British tourist in Rome, told the BBC: "Last night at the Spanish steps it was 41C. It's exhausting when you're trying to do all the sights."

Meanwhile the whole of France - where a heatwave in 2003 was blamed for 15,000 deaths - is now on orange alert, the second-highest warning level.

In Paris, fountains and sprinklers connected to hydrants have been set up. Some schools have delayed important exams and even closed.

In Toulouse, where temperatures are expected to reach 41C on Thursday, charities have been handing out water to homeless people.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC colleagues in hot countries give their tips for staying cool

The heat is also affecting France's 72,000-strong prison population. François Bes, a prison monitor, told BFMTV that many detainees had described their cells as "ovens".

"It's impossible to create a draught because by definition prisoners can't open the doors," he was quoted as saying. One major prison near Paris, Fresnes, has decided to hose down the yard to cool it, BFMTV reports.

How hot was Wednesday?

Temperatures have been climbing in recent days. On Wednesday, Coschen in Brandenburg peaked at 38.6C - a new German record for June.

Radzyn in Poland and Doksany in the Czech Republic also recorded new national highs, with temperatures hitting 38.2C and 38.9C respectively.

Even in the high-altitude Alps, temperatures topped 30C in places. Parts of Austria recorded their local all-time highest temperatures on Wednesday.

The Swiss cities of Geneva, Bern, and Zurich are all predicted to reach record temperatures of 39C or 40C.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A coati eating iced fruit in a Rome zoo

On Wednesday a swimming pool in the French city of Grenoble was shut down despite the heatwave, after a row over the use of a full-body Islamic burkini swimsuit, the mayor said.

While the UK will avoid the worst heat, parts of the country - including London - are expected to see temperatures top 30C on Saturday.

Is climate change to blame?

Linking a single event to global warming is complicated.

While extreme weather events like heatwaves occur naturally, experts say these will happen more often because of climate change.

Records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by about one degree since industrialisation.

A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe's five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century.

Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to human use of fossil fuel has serious implications for the stability of the planet's climate. </s> New maximums set in Belgium, Germany and Netherlands, as citizens swelter across Europe

This article is more than 1 month old

This article is more than 1 month old

Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have recorded their highest ever temperatures as the second extreme heatwave in as many months to be linked by scientists to the climate emergency grips the continent.

The Dutch meteorological service, KNMI, said the temperature reached 39.2C (102.5F) at the Gilze-Rijen airbase near Breda on Wednesday afternoon, exceeding the previous high of 38.6C set in August 1944.

In Belgium, the temperature in Kleine-Brogel hit 38.9C on Wednesday afternoon, fractionally higher than the previous record of 38.8C set in June 1947, and then subsequently rose to 39.9C. Forecasters said temperatures could climb further on Thursday.

Germany’s national weather service, DWD, said it believed a new all-time national high of 40.5C – 0.2C higher than the record – had been set in the town of Geilenkirchen near the Dutch and Belgian borders, but had still to confirm it.

“The most extreme heat will build from central and northern France into Belgium, the Netherlands and far western Germany into Thursday,” said Eric Leister of the forecasting group AccuWeather.

After several cities in France broke previous temperature records on Tuesday, including Bordeaux, which hit 41.2C, the national weather service, Météo France, said Paris was likely to beat its all-time high of 40.4C, set in July 1947, with 42C on Thursday.

City records in Amsterdam and Brussels are also expected to fall. Cities are particularly vulnerable in heatwaves because of a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, in which concrete buildings and asphalt roads absorb heat during the day and emit it again at night, preventing the city from cooling.

The latest heatwave, caused by an “omega block” – a high-pressure pattern that blocks and diverts the jet stream, allowing a mass of hot air to flow up from northern Africa and the Iberian peninsula – follows a similar extreme weather event last month that made it the hottest June on record.

Quick guide What is causing Europe's heatwaves? Show Hide Is this a record-breaking heatwave? Temperature records for this time of year have already been broken across much of Europe. The highest ever June temperatures were recorded in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Andorra, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany, while France registered an all-time record high of 45.9C. Why is it so hot? The latest heatwave, caused by an “omega block” – a high-pressure pattern that blocks and diverts the jet stream, allowing a mass of hot air to flow up from northern Africa and the Iberian peninsula – follows a similar extreme weather event last month that made it the hottest June on record. Is this heatwave a result of climate breakdown? It is not possible to pin the heatwave definitively on climate change because weather varies naturally. Moreover, the effects of climate change are not simple. For example, heavy rain and cloud across northern Europe is likely to become more common as the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes the jet stream weather system to become fixed in position. However, this year’s weather is certainly in line with the predictions scientists have made of rising temperatures, more heatwaves and prolonged droughts interspersed with periods of heavy flooding. What are the negative impacts of a heatwave? The body’s ability to regulate its own temperature is crucial; babies and older people are less well able to regulate their temperature and should stay in well-ventilated conditions. In the 2003 European heatwave there were about 70,000 excess deaths attributed to the long hot spell. People with underlying illnesses can also have problems, and even those who are healthy can experience difficulty sleeping and discomfort, so people are advised to stay hydrated and wear loose clothing at night. There is also an impact on farmers. While warmth at the right time is crucial for crop growth, excessively high temperatures can inhibit that growth, particularly if they are prolonged. Livestock can also suffer in the heat and need extra care. Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent



The highest ever June temperatures were recorded in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Andorra, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany, while France registered an all-time record high of 45.9C in the southern commune of Gallargues-le-Montueux.

Clare Nullis, a World Meteorological Organization spokeswoman, said the heatwaves bore the “hallmark of climate change”. The extreme events were “becoming more frequent, they’re starting earlier, and they’re becoming more intense”, she said. “It’s not a problem that’s going to go away.”

The 26-28 June heatwave in France was 4C hotter than a June heatwave would have been in 1900, according to World Weather Attribution, a new international programme helping the scientific community to analyse the possible influence of climate breakdown on extreme weather events.

A study published earlier this year by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich said the summer heatwave across northern Europe last year would have been “statistically impossible” without climate change driven by human activity.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rail passengers in Paris are given bottled water as temperatures on the city’s transport network soar. Photograph: Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images

KNMI has issued a code orange extreme temperature warning for all of the Netherlands except the offshore Wadden Islands and implemented its “national heat emergency” plan, while Belgium has taken the unprecedented step of placing the entire country on a code red warning.

Spain has also declared a red alert in the Zaragoza region, where the worst wildfires in 20 years took place last month. The EU’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service warned of an extreme danger of further forest fires in France and Spain on Thursday, with a high or very high threat level in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Portugal.

Twenty French départements were also placed on red alert. Agnès Buzyn, the health minister, said: “Nobody is immune in the face of such extreme temperatures. There are risks even if you are not particularly vulnerable.”

Britain’s Met Office issued similar advice and said the UK all-time high of 38.5C, recorded in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003, could be exceeded on Thursday.

Local authorities in France have placed restrictions on water usage in 73 of the country’s 96 départements following dramatic falls in ground and river water levels. “It’s tricky but under control, but we need to be very vigilant,” said the junior environment minister, Emmanuelle Wargon.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A thermometer shows the temperature outside the town hall of Belin-Béliet in south-western France. Photograph: Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images

The French energy company EDF said it was shutting down two reactors at its Golfech nuclear power plant in the southern Tarn-et-Garonne region in order to limit the heating of water used to keep the reactors cool.

Scientists have said such heatwaves are closely linked to the climate emergency and will be many times more likely over the coming decades.

Last month, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said Europe’s five hottest summers since 1500 had all occurred in the 21st century – in 2002, 2003, 2010, 2016 and 2018.

Monthly records were now falling five times as often as they would in a stable climate, the institute said, adding that this was “a consequence of global warming caused by the increasing greenhouse gases from burning coal, oil and gas”.

• This article was amended on 25 July 2019 to add a temperature announced after publication. The Belgian weather service initially announced that Kleine-Brogel had hit 38.9C, but the temperature later rose to 39.9C. </s> Dr. Jeff Masters ·

Above: A zookeeper (unseen) spills water on Asian elephants on June 25, 2019 at the zoo of Berlin. Temperatures hit 33°C (91.4°F) in the German capital on Tuesday. Europeans are baking in what forecasters are warning will likely be record-breaking temperatures for June with the mercury set to hit 40°C (104°F) as summer kicks in on the back of a wave of hot air from North Africa. Image credit: Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images.

A ferociously hot airmass from the Sahara Desert has moved northward into Western Europe and will bring a dangerous heat wave unprecedented for June for the remainder of the week. All-time national heat records for June are likely to fall in multiple countries, and some nations may challenge all-time heat records set during the great heat wave of 2003, which killed over 70,000 people.

As of 11 am EDT Tuesday (5 pm local time in France), the temperature in Paris had soared to 32.4°C (90.5°F), making Tuesday the first of a string of five days likely to have high temperatures in excess of 90°F. The WU forecast for Paris calls for high temperatures of 93 – 98°F Wednesday through Saturday.

As of 11 am EDT Tuesday, Carpentras, France had recorded a high temperature of 38.4°C (101.1°F). This falls 3°C short of the highest fully reliable June temperature in France of 41.5°C (106.7°F) on June 21, 2003 at Lézignan-Corbières, according to Etienne Kapikian (Météo-France). Other June readings as high as 42.2°C are less reliable, Kapikian said. The June heat record for France is likely to fall on Wednesday or Thursday in southern portions of the nation.

Wildfire danger is predicted to steadily increase during week, reaching the “Extreme” level by the weekend over portions of France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic, according the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. The European Union is already well above recent norms for hectares burned & number of fires ignited in 2019.

Another aspect to watch as the #Europe heatwave unfolds this week is the wildfire risk. The European Union is already well above recent norms for hectares burned & number of fires ignited YTD. pic.twitter.com/EiUSFgidN6 — Steve Bowen (@SteveBowenWx) June 24, 2019

An unusually early heat wave

Much like the eastern U.S., Europe tends to get its hottest temperatures of the year later in the summer, in July and especially toward August. All-time national records, some of which may be challenged this week, include:

Austria: 40.5°C (104.9°F), August 8, 2013

40.5°C (104.9°F), August 8, 2013 Belgium: 38.8°C (101.8°F), July 2, 2015

38.8°C (101.8°F), July 2, 2015 Czech Republic: 40.4°C (104.7°F), August 20, 2012

40.4°C (104.7°F), August 20, 2012 Denmark: 36.4°C (97.5°F), August 10, 1975

36.4°C (97.5°F), August 10, 1975 France: 44.1°C (111.4°F), August 12, 2003

44.1°C (111.4°F), August 12, 2003 Germany: 40.3°C (104.5°F), July 5 and August 7, 2015

40.3°C (104.5°F), July 5 and August 7, 2015 Liechtenstein: 37.4°C (99.3°F), August 13, 2003

37.4°C (99.3°F), August 13, 2003 Luxembourg: 39.9°C (103.8°F), August 8, 2003

39.9°C (103.8°F), August 8, 2003 Netherlands: 38.6°C (101.5°F), August 23, 1944

38.6°C (101.5°F), August 23, 1944 Switzerland: 39.7°C (103.5°F), July 7, 2015

Some of these all-time June records are even more likely to tumble:

Austria: 38.6°C (101.48°F), June 20, 2013

38.6°C (101.48°F), June 20, 2013 Belgium: 38.7°C (101.7°F), June 27, 1947

38.7°C (101.7°F), June 27, 1947 Czech Republic: 38.2°C (100.8°F), June 22, 2000

38.2°C (100.8°F), June 22, 2000 Denmark: 35.5°C (95.9°F), June 29, 1947

35.5°C (95.9°F), June 29, 1947 France: 41.5°C (106.7°F), June 21, 2003

41.5°C (106.7°F), June 21, 2003 Germany: 38.5°C (101.3°F), June 27, 1947

38.5°C (101.3°F), June 27, 1947 Luxembourg: 36.1°C (97.0°F), June 22, 2017

36.1°C (97.0°F), June 22, 2017 Netherlands: 38.4°C (101.1°F), June 29, 1947

38.4°C (101.1°F), June 29, 1947 Switzerland: 37.3°C (99.1°F), June 21, 2003

The airmass (at 850 hPa) in France may be > 30°C this week.



To get perspective how anomalous it is, here's ERA5 T850 maximum for any month and for June. Clearly an all-time record (at least for 41 years), and totally unheard of for June.#heatwave pic.twitter.com/YAhXExbUUO — Mika Rantanen (@mikarantane) June 25, 2019

Early-season heat waves are especially dangerous

Heat waves are especially dangerous when they occur early in the summer, before people have had time to adapt to the seasonal heat. A 2015 report from the World Meteorological Organization and World Health Organization on heatwaves and health notes:

“Heatwave timing appears to have a notable effect on the level of mortality. Heatwaves occurring early in the summer have been shown to be associated with greater impacts on mortality in the same population than later heatwaves of comparable or higher temperatures (Hajat et al., 2002; Kinney et al., 2008; Anderson and Bell, 2011). The impact of high temperatures later in the summer is sometimes diminished after an early heatwave.

“In Europe, heatwaves occurring in June result in relatively high mortality compared to later in the summer, while most high-mortality events in southern Asia appear to occur early in the summer before the summer monsoon."

Figure 1. Heat forecast from Tuesday, June 25, 2019 from The Weather Company. The most widespread anomalous heat, with temperatures more than 12°C (22°F) above average (pink colors), are predicted on Wednesday and Thursday.

Europe’s heat wave history

The hottest summers since 1500 AD in Europe were 2018, 2010, 2003, 2016, 2002. Europe’s deadliest heat-wave catastrophe occurred in the first two weeks of August 2003. Great Britain saw its first 100°F readings in more than 300 years of recordkeeping, and all-time national heat records were also set in France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Leichtenstein.

According to statistics from EM-DAT, the 2003 European heat wave was the deadliest in world history, with over 70,000 deaths. Hardest-hit were Italy (20,089 deaths), France (19,490 deaths), and Spain (15,090 deaths). Below is the list of top ten deadliest heat waves in world history as compiled by EM-DAT (which uses direct deaths for their statistics, and not excess mortality):



The 10 Deadliest Heat Waves in World History

1) Europe, 2003: 71,310

2) Russia, 2010: 55,736|

3) France/Belgium, 2015: 3,685

4) India/Pakistan, 2015: 3,477

5) Europe, 2006: 3,418

6) India, 1998: 2,541

7) U.S. and Canada, 1936: 1,693

8) India/Pakistan/Bangladesh, 2003: 1,472

9) U.S., 1980: 1,260

10) India, 2002: 1,030

A landmark 2004 study led by Peter Stott (University of Reading) found that human-produced climate change made heat waves on par with the European disaster of 2003 about four times more likely to occur.

Data show that the normally eastward atmospheric summer circulation of the NH mid-latitudes has slowed down, including the jet stream. This favors more hot-and-dry conditions over the continent and is likely linked to Arctic warming. Coumou et al. 2015: https://t.co/wsQbn8l5VP pic.twitter.com/VqaIp3rNVS — Stefan Rahmstorf (@rahmstorf) June 24, 2019

Bob Henson contributed to this post, and thanks go to Maximiliano Herrera for providing European national weather records. </s> PRAGUE, Czech Republic - France's national weather service issued its highest-level danger alert Thursday as it warned that parts of the country could expect temperatures to reach an “exceptional peak” Friday amid a record-setting heat wave in Europe.

Meteo France raised the hazardous weather warning to “red,” the highest level, for the Marseille and Montpellier areas in southeastern France, forecasting hazardous temperatures of 42-45 degrees Celsius (107-113 F) on Friday.

It was the first red alert Meteo France activated since a four-level weather “vigilance” system was introduced following an estimated 15,000 heat-related deaths in France during a 2003 summer heat wave.

“A heat wave of this amplitude so early in the year, in June, is exceptional,” Meteo France meteorologist France Christelle Robert said. “We should expect more intense and frequent heat waves with climate change, because it will accentuate the extremes.”

The Italian Health Ministry said seven cities, including Florence, Rome and Turin, already were at Italy's highest heat warning level Thursday. On Friday, 16 cities will be under alerts for high temperatures.

Italian authorities instructed people to avoid being outside during the hottest hours of the day and to stay away from areas with a lot of vehicle traffic to prevent ozone exposure.

In France, a red extreme weather warning advises extra precautions for children and older people and cautions that even those in good health are at risk of heat stroke.

Most of the rest of France remained on the next-highest “orange” alert. In Paris and other big cities, including Marseille, authorities banned older cars since high heat exacerbates air pollution.

Amid the blistering weather in Europe, hundreds of firefighters struggled to contain a wildfire in northeastern Spain that forced the evacuation of 53 residents.

Firefighters said temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 F), low humidity and high winds fanned the flames.

Miquel Buch, the regional interior minister, said authorities suspect the Catalonia region's worst fire in two decades started when the heat caused improperly stored chicken manure to combust at a farm.

In the Czech Republic, where a new June temperature record was set this week, were set this week, gorillas and polar bears at Prague's zoo kept cool by eating their own version of sorbet.

Zookeepers have presented the animals with big blocks of frozen water in a form that suits them, and with ingredients to suit their tastes.

The gorillas had two blocks with a mixture of fruits inside, including pieces of orange, apple, pear, kiwi, carrot, pineapple and mango, hanging from ropes in their outdoor enclosure.

The zoo's eight Western lowland gorillas stuck to a clear hierarchy. Richard, the dominant male, had a chunk of ice for him own. The other seven have to share one among them all.

The three polar bears get an icy block each. Fish is the main ingredient. </s> Europe is preparing for a heat wave, which may become a record for all time of observations.

The peak is expected 26 – 28 June. Under forecasts of weather forecasters, on the territory from Spain to Poland, the temperature will rise by between 11 and 17 degrees above normal: about 35-40C.

In large cities filled with asphalt and concrete, the figures could be even higher, according to

Experts note that the early June heat is especially dangerous, as people have not had time to adapt to the scorching sun after the cold months. At risk: the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, and homeless.

Installed: European heat in 2003 led to the deaths of 70,000 people. The hot summer last year, only in Germany was estimated to have caused thousands of additional deaths.

In 2019 the most extreme weather expects Western and Central Europe, according to meteorologists. Perhaps in some regions of Spain and France within three days will hold the forty-degree heat.

According to the forecasts, on Friday, June 28, the temperature in Madrid will rise to 40.6 degree – this will be the highest figure ever registered.

In Paris is expected to 37 degrees combined with high humidity, aggravating the situation. Experts are almost certain that France will set a new national record heat (+45C), beating the previous high set in 2003 (+44.1 per degree).

New records may also be recorded in Austria (+38,6 C), Germany (+38.5 C.) and Switzerland (+37,2 C).

In England and Ireland, the heat is not so intense, but the temperature in some areas will significantly exceed the norm. In the South of Sweden and in Denmark of a possible heat wave to 32 degrees Celsius.

Experts attribute the heat coming with two anticyclones, one located near Greenland, the other over North-East Europe.

In the coming days they will come together and block the cyclone to the South, which could bring into the European territory of cool air masses.

The combination of zones of high and low pressure will lead to the fact that the plume of hot air from Spain and from the Sahara desert will head to mainland Europe and the United Kingdom.

Experts warn that, in addition to heat, in several countries the possibility of strong thunderstorms.

According to scientists, in the XXI century, Europe experienced the hottest five year periods from 1500 year: 2002, 2003, 2010, 2016 and 2018.

They warn that further warming phenomena such as the extreme heat will be more frequent.

Note, the heat affects not only people, but animals. The inhabitants of the Berlin zoo save a shower and icy treats. </s> A man enjoys the sunrise on the Drachenberg over Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Temperatures of up to 38 degrees are expected in the German capital. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Torrid weather gripped large parts of western and central Europe on Wednesday, setting new June temperature records in Germany and the Czech Republic and forcing drivers to slow down on some sections of the famously speedy German autobahns.

Authorities imposed speed limits on some autobahns due to concerns the high heat would cause expressway surfaces to buckle. Some French schools stayed closed as a precaution due to worrying hot weather.

German weather agency Deutscher Wetterdienst said a preliminary reading showed the mercury reached 38.6 degrees Celsius (101.5 F) in Coschen, near the Polish border. That’s a tenth of a degree higher than the previous national record for June, set in 1947 in southwestern Germany.

The Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute said the temperature reached 38.5 Celsius (101.3 F) in Doksany — a Czech Republic high for the month. New daily records were set at some 80% of local measuring stations.

And it’s about to get even hotter.

Authorities have warned that temperatures could top 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in parts of continental Europe in the coming days as a plume of dry, hot air moves north from Africa.

The transport ministry in Germany’s eastern Saxony-Anhalt state said it has imposed speed limits of 100 kph or 120 kph (62 mph or 75 mph) on several short stretches of highway until further notice. (same as autobahn above?)

Those stretches usually don’t have speed limits, but officials worry they couldcrack in the heat and endanger drivers.

Professor Hannah Cloke, a natural hazards researcher at Britain’s University of Reading, said the heat along with a build-up of humidity was a “potentially lethal combination.”

“Children, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk,” she said.

Precautionary measures also were taken in France, where temperatures up to 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) are forecast for the Paris area later in the week.

Similarly baking conditions are expected in much of the country, from the Pyrenees in the southwest to the German border in the northeast.

Because such high temperatures are rare in France, most homes and many buildings do not have air conditioning.

In Paris on Wednesday authorities banned older cars from the city for the day as the heat aggravates pollution problems.

Regional authorities estimated the measure, targeting vehicles including gasoline cars from 2005 or older and diesel cars from 2010 or older, affects nearly 60% of vehicles circulating in the Paris region. Violators face fines.

French charities and local officials were providing extra help for the elderly, the homeless and the sick this week, remembering that some 15,000 people, many of them elderly, died in France during a 2003 heat wave.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe cited the heat wave as evidence of climate destabilization and vowed to step up the government’s fight against climate change.

The scorching heat was felt on the streets of Vienna, too.

“We’re slightly below 35 degrees (Celsius) right now,” said Wolfgang Fasching, driver of one of the city’s traditional horse-drawn carriages. “At 35 degrees we go home because then the horses in Vienna get time off due to excessive heat.”

With temperatures in Milan forecast to hit 40 C, an aid group said it was preparing to distribute 10,000 bottles of free water to the homeless and other needy people. The Civil Protection service in Rome also planned to distribute water to people at risk during the hottest hours of the day.

About half of Spain’s provinces are on alert for high temperatures, which are expected to rise as the weekend approaches.

The northeastern city of Zaragoza was forecast to be the hottest on Wednesday at 39 C, building to 44 C on Saturday, according to the government weather agency AEMET.

Some tourists sought relief in Madrid’s green spaces. “It is pretty hot right now, we are dealing with it by trying to stay in the shade here in the park,” said Victoria Poliak from San Diego, California. </s> A couple holds an umbrella to protect from the sun Thursday, June 27, 2019 at the Louvre museum in Paris. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

PRAGUE (AP) — France’s national weather service issued its highest-level danger alert Thursday as it warned that parts of the country could expect temperatures to reach an “exceptional peak” Friday amid a record-setting heat wave in Europe.

Meteo France raised the hazardous weather warning to “red,” the highest level, for the Marseille and Montpellier areas in southeastern France, forecasting hazardous temperatures of 42-45 degrees Celsius (107-113 F) on Friday.

It was the first red alert Meteo France activated since a four-level weather “vigilance” system was introduced following an estimated 15,000 heat-related deaths in France during a 2003 summer heat wave.

“A heat wave of this amplitude so early in the year, in June, is exceptional,” Meteo France meteorologist France Christelle Robert said. “We should expect more intense and frequent heat waves with climate change, because it will accentuate the extremes.”

The Italian Health Ministry said seven cities, including Florence, Rome and Turin, already were at Italy’s highest heat warning level Thursday. On Friday, 16 cities will be under alerts for high temperatures.

Italian authorities instructed people to avoid being outside during the hottest hours of the day and to stay away from areas with a lot of vehicle traffic to prevent ozone exposure.

In France, a red extreme weather warning advises extra precautions for children and older people and cautions that even those in good health are at risk of heat stroke.

Most of the rest of France remained on the next-highest “orange” alert. In Paris and other big cities, including Marseille, authorities banned older cars since high heat exacerbates air pollution.

Amid the blistering weather in Europe, hundreds of firefighters struggled to contain a wildfire in northeastern Spain that forced the evacuation of 53 residents.

Firefighters said temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 F), low humidity and high winds fanned the flames.

Miquel Buch, the regional interior minister, said authorities suspect the Catalonia region’s worst fire in two decades started when the heat caused improperly stored chicken manure to combust at a farm.

In the Czech Republic, where a new June temperature record was set this week, were set this week, gorillas and polar bears at Prague’s zoo kept cool by eating their own version of sorbet.

Zookeepers have presented the animals with big blocks of frozen water in a form that suits them, and with ingredients to suit their tastes.

The gorillas had two blocks with a mixture of fruits inside, including pieces of orange, apple, pear, kiwi, carrot, pineapple and mango, hanging from ropes in their outdoor enclosure.

The zoo’s eight Western lowland gorillas stuck to a clear hierarchy. Richard, the dominant male, had a chunk of ice for him own. The other seven have to share one among them all.

The three polar bears get an icy block each. Fish is the main ingredient.
Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic record their highest ever recorded temperatures for June amid a heat wave in Western and Central Europe.