Records tumble as European heatwave moves east

BERLIN: Tens of millions face a weekend of extreme temperatures in Europe as a deadly heatwave moves eastwards, with German forecasters warning that more records could be broken and eastern countries issuing a slew of red alerts for the coming days. Analysis suggested almost 200 million would face temperatures of more than 35°C on Saturday as an unprecedented hot spell that has already seen records tumble in Britain, France, Switzerland drags on.

Scores of people have died either through heat-related illness or drowning accidents and emergency services in several countries have said their facilities are saturated. Street parties and music festivals were cancelled in France, Germany and the Netherlands — though Pride Marches were set to go ahead in Budapest and Munich despite the extreme heat warnings. And both Switzerland and France had switched off nuclear reactors as the water used for cooling was in danger of overheating nearby rivers.

Denmark recorded its highest temperature on record on Saturday, the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) said. "With 36.6°C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since measurements began in 1874," DMI said in a post to X. It added that "the day isn't over yet..." The previous record temperature in the Scandinavian country was 36.4°C, which was recorded in August 1975, according to DMI. DMI had warned that the record could be broken as a heatwave swept over the Scandinavian country, with media showing images of Danes around the country trying to cool off at beaches.

The German Weather Service (DWD) issued a red alert for most of the country on Saturday. "It can't be ruled out that temperatures could approach 42°C," the service said, which would mean another all-time heat record just a day after the previous one. Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming driven by humans burning fossil fuels — and are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense. Experts said a "heat dome" of trapped air from north Africa was causing the intense weather, and although the phenomenon was not unprecedented, the temperatures were.

Romania was the latest country to issue a red alert, putting out a warning that almost the entire country would face extreme heat from Monday to Wednesday. Slovakia had issued a similar warning and confirmed that Friday night had been the warmest on record with temperatures not dropping below 26.3°C. Denis Ovdyienko, a courier, said in Bratislava on Friday he was struggling to keep cool and had to rely on public fountains. "I feel like everything is warm. The road is warm, my phone is warm, my head is warm, everything is hot," said the 26-year-old. "After four o'clock, the fatigue starts to kick in." The Czech Republic, Hungary and Moldova were also on the highest alert for the weekend, with Balkan countries also bracing for a tough few days.

At least 193 million people in Europe were expected to experience temperatures above 35°C on Saturday, according to calculations based on forecasts, with Germany the hardest hit. Although a slew of events were cancelled, many in Germany were soldiering on. The Berlin Philharmonic said it would continue with its traditional end-of-season outdoor concert in Berlin despite temperatures of up to 41°C, but the dress code would be relaxed. — AFP