Europe is ‘melting’: Record-breaking heatwave shuts schools, leaves thousands without power | Top points

Europe grapples with a severe heatwave as temperatures reach record highs, prompting health warnings and disruptions.

Large parts of Europe are struggling under an intense heatwave that has pushed temperatures to exceptional levels, triggered health warnings and disrupted daily life across several countries. Western and central Europe have been among the hardest hit, with authorities urging people to take precautions as temperatures continue to soar.

Europe is baking under a scorching heatwave, with health warnings in place across western and central parts of the continent. (AFP and Reuters)

Scientists say the weather patterns behind such heatwaves are not new. However, they note that these events are becoming more severe in a world that is hotter due to the burning of fossil fuels.

Europe heatwave | Top points

1. France records its hottest day ever

France registered its highest-ever national average temperature on Tuesday, with the national thermal indicator reaching 29.8 degrees celsius. The previous records were set during the major heatwaves of 2003 and 2019.

2. Thousands lose power in northern France

Power outages linked to a transformer incident left thousands of homes without electricity amid the scorching temperatures.

Authorities prioritised hospitals, healthcare centres and retirement homes during restoration efforts.

3. Schools, transport and tourist sites disrupted

Extreme heat has affected transport networks, forced changes to school schedules and led to shortened operating hours at major attractions, including the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris.

4. Italy issues red alert for heat

Italy’s health ministry placed 15 cities, including Milan and Rome, under a red heatwave alert on Tuesday, with the number of affected cities expected to rise to 16 on Wednesday.

5. Spain remains under heat alerts

Nearly the entire country was placed under heat warnings as temperatures continued to rise, with parts of southern and northern Spain facing the highest level of alert.

The national weather agency AEMET issued red alerts, indicating “extraordinary danger”, for areas including the southern city of Cordoba, the northern city of Bilbao and parts of the Cantabria region.

6. Red Cross warns of serious health risks

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that the extreme heat could quickly turn life-threatening, especially for vulnerable groups.

"For thousands of people across Europe, extreme temperatures, without action, can quickly become a matter of life and death," Mary Friel, the IFRC's senior climate policy officer, told a press conference in Geneva, as per news agency AFP.

7. Heatwave linked to drownings in France and Belgium

The intense heat has also led to a rise in drowning incidents as people look for ways to escape the scorching temperatures.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said 40 people, many of them young, have drowned since June 18 during the severe heatwave, describing it as a "tragic scourge".

8. Heat alerts issued in Poland, Croatia and Hungary

Poland’s weather service issued high-level heat alerts for western parts of the country from Thursday to Saturday, with forecasts suggesting temperatures could challenge the national record of 40.2°C set in 1921.

Croatia’s popular Adriatic coast was placed under a red alert for Friday and Saturday due to the rising heat risk.

Hungary, already under a second-level heat alert, announced it would raise the warning to the highest level from June 27 to June 30 as temperatures continued to rise.

Weather officials have warned that temperatures could continue to rise, with further record-breaking conditions expected before the heatwave eases.

(With inputs from agencies)