Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary experienced their hottest days on record on Sunday, with temperatures exceeding 40°C as a heatwave that has been linked to hundreds of deaths in western Europe moved east. More than 191 million people across Europe faced temperatures of at least 35°C, with extreme heat warnings in place.
Germany recorded a new national high of 41.7°C in Coschen, near the Polish border, breaking the previous record of 41.5°C set a day earlier. In eastern Germany, a fire broke out in a forest contaminated with World War II ammunition, complicating firefighting efforts. A separate fire near Traisen in the south-west led to the evacuation of about 650 people after explosions occurred. Berlin police used water cannon to cool residents and tourists, and Deutsche Bahn advised against non-essential travel.
Poland surpassed its all-time heat record with 40.5°C in Słubice, breaking a 105-year-old record. The government sent text messages urging people to avoid the sun and strenuous activity. Hungary also broke its record for the date with 40.7°C in Budakalász, while Czechia reported a new all-time high of 41.9°C in Doksany, with the hydrometeorological institute warning that temperatures were still rising.
In France, the heatwave has been linked to additional deaths, with 1,000 excess deaths recorded between 24 and 27 June, according to the national public health agency. The majority were among people over 65, but younger people were also affected. The French interior minister reported that ambulance services responded to over 122,000 callouts during the hottest period. Preliminary figures in Spain showed at least 327 heat-related deaths between last Sunday and Thursday.
Violent storms accompanied the heat in northern France, causing injuries, fires, and power outages affecting over 60,000 homes. In Belgium, one man died when a tree fell on his vehicle near Brussels during storms.
