Reuters —
Europeans endured sweltering conditions from Scandinavia to the Alps on Saturday as a heat wave that killed dozens of people spread eastward, with record temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places.
Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany experienced record heat in June, with Denmark recording its highest temperature on record after the weather system started moving towards Poland.
Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-induced climate change, making nighttime temperatures this week likely to be 100 times higher than 20 years ago.
“The peak of the heat wave will reach well above 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of Germany over the weekend,” said meteorologist Carsten Brandt of the weather website Donnerwetter.de.
Germany’s National Weather Service, citing preliminary data, said Friday that temperatures of 41.3 degrees Celsius were set near the city of Saarbrücken on the French border, a new German record.
Meanwhile, the Danish Meteorological Institute reported a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius north of the city of Aarhus on Saturday, the highest since measurements began in 1874.
Authorities issued a heatwave warning for most of Germany on Saturday as they urged people to conserve water.
According to the report, temperatures are expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius nationwide, with local highs of 42 degrees Celsius possible. Temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius in almost all of Poland.
Dozens of people of all ages died in France due to the heat wave. Temperatures above 40 degrees will disrupt train service and power generation, impose alcohol bans, close schools and postpone outdoor events.
Italy’s Health Ministry has issued a heatwave warning for 18 cities, including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna, for Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures expected to rise to a maximum of 39 degrees Celsius.
Bolzano in the Italian Alps experienced the warmest June night on record on Friday, with nighttime temperatures not dropping below 25.4 degrees Celsius, the city’s meteorologist Dieter Peterlin told the X program.
France’s Prime Minister’s Office said that although the heat wave continues, pressure on the health system will continue and hospitalization numbers will remain high for several days.
Officials say the number of wildfires reported in France has increased compared to the same time last year due to the heat wave.
Some major railway companies are trying to reduce traffic as they grapple with the prospect of damage to infrastructure, including buckling roads and swollen tracks.
Germany’s national rail operator Deutsche Bahn is allowing customers to cancel long-distance journeys for free until the beginning of next week to ease pressure on the rail network.
Another operator, National Express, announced Saturday afternoon that it would suspend some trains in Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia as a precautionary measure.
Near Hamburg, authorities said a main lane on one of Germany’s busiest motorways was partially closed after the asphalt cracked in the heat.
In Switzerland, the Pride march in Lausanne was scheduled to be held on Saturday with extra fountains and first responders, while the Pride march in Milan was postponed until 5pm (3pm local time) to avoid the worst of the heat.
The Ironman European Championship long-distance triathlon, to be held in Frankfurt on Sunday, has had its cycling and running courses shortened due to the heat.
The worst of the heat is expected to start to ease over the weekend, with severe thunderstorms expected on Sunday.
Across Europe, cultural sites have been forced to close, agriculture has suffered and some hospitals are struggling to cope.
The heatwave caused temperatures to rise significantly above seasonal averages, according to Reuters Climate Monitor, a phenomenon known as the Omega Block.
This weather pattern traps an inflated ball of hot air over an area for an extended period of time, with cooler air around its periphery.
Demand for electric fans is soaring, and Asian air conditioner manufacturers are reporting a sales boom in Europe.
