Europe scorched by early-season heat wave as officials warn of rising climate risk

A severe early-season heat wave is sweeping across Europe, drawing comparisons to the deadly 2003 summer that killed an estimated 70,000 people across the continent.

In the years since that disaster, European countries have introduced a range of public health measures aimed at reducing heat-related deaths. These include early warning systems, cooling shelters, improved hospital preparedness, and in cities such as Paris, registries of elderly and vulnerable residents who receive check-in calls during periods of extreme heat, The New York Times writes. 

Despite these measures, officials and researchers say the continent remains vulnerable as temperatures surge again this week, particularly across Western Europe, where the heat wave is most intense.

Pierre Masselot, an environmental epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “We have adapted, but it is far from enough for what is coming.”

One structural challenge is the relatively low prevalence of air conditioning in much of Europe, limiting protection during extreme temperature spikes. At the same time, demographic shifts are increasing exposure risk: the European Union’s population of senior citizens has risen by about 40 percent over the past two decades, expanding the group most vulnerable to heat-related illness.

Climate trends are also playing a role. Of France’s 52 official heat waves since 1947, half have occurred in the past 16 years, underscoring the accelerating frequency of extreme heat events.

The current heat wave has brought Sahara-like conditions to major cities and tourist destinations, with temperatures in parts of Western Europe running up to 25 degrees Fahrenheit above seasonal norms. France has placed much of the country under red-level heat alerts, indicating the potential for “strong health impact.”

France recorded its hottest night from June 22 to June 23 since modern records began in 1947. The national temperature indicator—an average across 30 weather stations—reached 21.6°C, according to preliminary figures taken on June 23. The previous record was 21.4°C, set in July 2019,  Barron's writes. 

Italy’s health ministry has also issued red heatwave alerts for 15 cities, including Milan and Rome, with the number expected to rise to 16. During a red alert—the highest warning level—authorities advise people to stay indoors during peak heat hours, eat light meals, and use cooling methods such as cool water.

The extreme heat has also disrupted infrastructure. A nuclear reactor at the Golfech plant in southwestern France was shut down after cooling water drawn from the Garonne River exceeded safe temperature limits of 28°C, a plant spokeswoman said.

Public safety incidents have also increased. Two men aged 20 and 22 drowned in lakes in Bavaria, while a 79-year-old woman died in the Baltic Sea. Additional fatal swimming accidents were reported in lakes in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. In France, two children aged two and four were found dead in their family’s car in the southeast as temperatures soared, according to local authorities.

Transport systems are also under strain.

“The transport network comes under severe strain in periods of extreme heat... railways cannot withstand temperatures above 50 degrees,” said Valérie Pécresse, head of the Île-de-France region. She added: “That is why we have advised all passengers who can to postpone their journeys, particularly vulnerable people, and for everyone who is able to work from home to do so.”

As Europe endures another wave of extreme heat, officials say preparedness has improved since 2003, but rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves continue to test the continent’s ability to cope.

By Sabina Mammadli