Germany Records New 41.5C High as Europe Heatwave Breaks Records Across Czech Republic, Denmark

A record-breaking heatwave sweeping across Western Europe has pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, with Germany recording a new national high of 41.5C on Saturday at the Drewitz station in eastern Germany, according to provisional data from the national weather service (DWD).

“Much of western Europe has been baking under a “heat dome” this week, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees celcius in many places”

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The heatwave’s advance has also brought record June temperatures elsewhere, including a reading of 40.6C in Doksany in the Czech Republic, north of Prague, and Denmark’s hottest day on record at 37C measured at Odum, north of Aarhus.

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In the UK, the Met Office said a provisional temperature of 37.3C was recorded in Santon Downham, in Suffolk, breaking the previous high of 36.9C set earlier in the day, while in France the BBC reported Switzerland broke its record for its hottest-ever June day with the mercury rising to 39C in Basel.

The BBC said an estimated 150 million people in Europe are now experiencing temperatures of over 35C, and it quoted Ben Rich describing the event as a "heat dome" caused by a slow-moving persistent area of high pressure.

The same BBC report said the heatwave has been linked to the deaths of hundreds of people over the past week, and it added that since the heatwave began, the number of drowning deaths in France has risen to at least 55.

The heatwave has been tied to a rising death toll and repeated emergency warnings, with the BBC reporting that Spain’s MoMo monitoring system has recorded 327 deaths that could be linked to the heat between Sunday and Thursday.

In France, the BBC said the number of drowning deaths has risen to at least 55 and that an estimated two-thirds of them had been swimming in unsupervised areas, while the CBC reported that in France hospitals remained under intense pressure for heat-related emergencies including heart attacks, heatstroke and dehydration.

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The CBC also reported that the Paris public hospital authority activated its emergency response plan across all 38 hospitals, and it said the AP-HP authority’s emergency departments treated nearly 3,000 patients in the past 24 hours, over a third more than normal.

In Germany, the heat has disrupted daily life and infrastructure, with Deutsche Bahn advising against all non-essential travel and saying "Germany's transportation infrastructure is being severely affected by the record-breaking heat this weekend," according to a statement carried by the CBC.

As the heat pushed into central and eastern parts of the continent, the BBC said the World Meteorological Organization warned the heatwave would have "major impacts" to health and ecosystems.

Authorities and services have been forced to adapt as the heatwave continues moving east, with the BBC saying the extreme heat will continue over the weekend into Monday with temperatures above 40C still possible in places.

The BBC also reported that cooler conditions developing in the west of the continent will sweep eastwards to bring some relief later in the week, while Al Jazeera said the most extreme heat is forecast to begin fading over the weekend with heavy thunderstorms expected on Sunday.

Beyond immediate health impacts, the BBC said the World Meteorological Organization warned of major impacts to health and ecosystems, and it linked the heatwave’s early-season intensity to climate change.

Al Jazeera quoted a meteorologist at Donnerwetter.de, Karsten Brandt, saying the heatwave is going to peak at the weekend "well over 40C (104F) in some parts of Germany," as it described disruptions ranging from shortened Ironman European Championship segments in Frankfurt to options for Deutsche Bahn customers to cancel bookings without charge.

Scientists cited by the BBC said a heatwave of this magnitude so early in the summer would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago, and it said climate change is "unequivocally" to blame.