Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia are bracing for record temperatures exceeding 40°C as a heatwave linked to hundreds of deaths in western Europe spreads east. More than 191 million people in Europe faced temperatures of at least 35°C on Sunday, with extreme heat warnings issued in Germany, Czechia, Poland, and Hungary.
Poland on Track to Break All-Time Heat Record
Poland's all-time temperature record of 40.2°C from 1921 could be broken on Sunday. The Polish government's security agency sent text messages urging people to avoid the sun and strenuous activity, drink water, and wear hats throughout the weekend. Multiple cities set up water curtains to help residents keep cool.
Czechia and Slovakia Expect Extreme Heat
The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said it expected temperatures to exceed 41°C, predicting that the country's all-time record of 40.6°C, recorded on Saturday, would be broken on Sunday. Temperatures did not drop below 20°C at more than 100 meteorological stations overnight. The institute also expected further records for the warmest night ever to be broken. In Slovakia, temperatures above 39°C were reported in the southwest, with the all-time record of 40.3°C set in 2007 likely to be beaten on Sunday or Monday. Forecasts indicate the country could see three consecutive days above 40°C for the first time since records began in 1871.
Germany and Denmark Also Hit
Night-time records were broken in Germany, with Bautzen in eastern Saxony reporting an overnight minimum temperature of 29.4°C. The Berlin police used water cannon to help residents cool off on Saturday and will repeat the operation on Sunday. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn advised against all non-essential travel over the weekend. Denmark registered its highest temperature since measurements began in 1874, with 36.6°C recorded north of Odense on Saturday.
France Counts Death Toll
France has begun counting the death toll of its heatwave. The French national public health agency said that between 24 and 27 June, 1,000 additional deaths were recorded compared with figures in previous months. These figures are provisional and expected to rise significantly. The sharpest increase in deaths was among people dying at home, particularly in the Île-de-France region. The majority of deaths were among people over 65, but younger people were also affected. The health agency stated: "This serves as a reminder of the need for measures of solidarity towards people who are isolated or experiencing profound loneliness, including in highly urbanised areas."
Philippe Juvin, an emergency doctor and MP for the rightwing Les Républicains party, said the final death toll in France would be very high. He noted that there were likely to be people still in their homes in a coma, or who had died, who might not be discovered until next week. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said hospitals and emergency services would remain under pressure for the coming days. Marine Tondelier, leader of the Greens, called for "all light to be shed" on the "very high death toll" and for political conclusions to be taken for action on the climate crisis. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said ambulance services responded to more than 122,000 callouts during the hottest period.
Preliminary figures in Spain showed at least 327 deaths linked to the heat between last Sunday and Thursday.
Storms Cause Additional Damage
A large part of northern France was hit by violent electrical storms and high winds, causing several injuries as emergency services attended to fallen trees and flooded homes. Lightning in the Aisne area sparked several fires, including one in Laon where five people were injured. Storms caused electricity outages, leaving more than 60,000 homes without power on Sunday morning. In Belgium, one person died overnight when a tree fell on his vehicle just outside Brussels, media reported, after violent storms hit much of the country.
