Western Europe faces escalating heatwave as temperatures hit new highs

Much of Western Europe sweltered in a severe heatwave on Friday, with temperatures expected to climb further and likely break additional records in the coming days.

France was especially affected, prompting hundreds of schools to adjust their timetables. Forecasters warned of an “intense and long‑lasting” heatwave that could push Paris above 40 °C for the first time on a June day.

Across the continent, authorities are intensifying warnings of extreme weather. German meteorologists say parts of the country must prepare for thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain over the weekend.

Meteorologists have confirmed that England and Wales already recorded their hottest spring on file, although the UK is not expected to experience the same intensity as mainland Europe.

Scientists attribute these trends to human‑driven climate change, which is amplifying extremes and making heatwaves, droughts and floods both more intense and more frequent.

France braces for its second early‑season heatwave in less than a month.

The current heatwave is already the second of the year for many, and means summer is kicking off for tens of millions of Western Europeans with another spell of extreme heat.

Britain, France, Spain, Switzerland and Germany have all raised alert levels for the coming days, as have some cities in northern and central Italy.

The UK’s Met Office said there was a 40‑percent chance of beating the record temperature for a June day, set in 1976.

Spain’s civil protection agency warned of a prolonged spell of extreme heat covering most of the country and the Balearic Islands from Sunday through much of next week.

Schaffhouse, a town in northern Switzerland, recorded its hottest June temperature ever at 35.7 °C on Friday, and the mercury is expected to rise across the country in the coming days, threatening additional records.

Read moreNew timetables, longer holidays: How can French schools adapt to heatwaves?

With climate change, “we are seeing more extremes of temperature, breaking records more frequently,” Alex Deakin from the Met Office told AFP.

“When you get hot spells, they’re that much hotter. And when you get rainy spells, they’re that much rainier,” he said.

Trying to cope

France is at the heart of the current upsurge, having just experienced its hottest spring since records began in 1900.

In the scorching streets of Paris, residents shared tips on how to beat the heat.

Patricia Pierrot said she had stopped taking the bus entirely, calling it “too stifling”.

“It’s really unpleasant,” she said. “I think the metro might be a little bit better.”

“We’re trying to cope, like everyone else,” said estate agent David Blanchet. “It’s important to stay hydrated and not eat too much. So we focus on foods with high water content, like fruit, and on limiting calorie intake.”

But in a village nestled in hills south of Paris, Jean‑Luc Eclercy Deterpigny is reaping the benefits of a decision he made during the Covid‑19 pandemic to quit the city and live in a cave dwelling.

He told AFP the caves in the village of Troo offer a stable temperature year‑round thanks to the surrounding rock mass.

“Living in a cave dwelling in the context of climate change is honestly an incredible stroke of luck,” said Eclercy Deterpigny, who now heads the local tourism association.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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