Published on 6/28/2026
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Last update: 12:53 (Mecca time)
The intense heat wave continues to hit large parts of Europe, causing human losses and harsh weather conditions, as the French health authorities announced that about a thousand additional deaths were recorded within days, while Germany and other countries are preparing to record new record temperatures, declaring a state of maximum alert.
The National Public Health Agency in France said on Sunday that about a thousand additional deaths had been recorded since June 24, compared to the numbers that were monitored during the previous months, noting that these numbers are still preliminary and not final, even though the extreme heat wave has begun to subside.
The agency added that the increase in deaths came particularly from people over the age of 65, and that deaths that occurred indoors increased by 40%, which reflects the significant impact of the heat wave on the groups most at risk.
France has counted 74 drowning incidents since June 18 related to the heat, according to what Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on Saturday, noting that these deaths occurred “largely in bodies of water in which swimming is not permitted and is not subject to monitoring, in addition to recording cases of drowning in private swimming pools as well.”
A few days ago, the Electricité de France announced that it had temporarily closed two reactors at the Nogent-sur-Seine power station on the Seine River in northern France, and the Puget station on the Rhone River near the city of Lyon in the southeast of the country, in order to avoid discharging large quantities of hot water into rivers that are witnessing a rise in temperatures as a result of a record heat wave, and in compliance with the restrictions imposed on river temperatures.
In light of the continuing heat wave, the health authorities in Paris and the surrounding areas activated the emergency plan within hospitals, which includes summoning medical personnel on vacation, increasing bed capacity, and postponing non-urgent surgical operations.
The French Meteorological Authority (Météo France) announced the issuance of a red alert in 37 provinces, including Paris and its suburbs, and an orange alert in 48 other provinces, due to the extreme rise in temperatures.
Germany
In Germany, the country is preparing for a new day of extreme heat, with temperatures expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius today, Sunday, which may break the national record that was recorded just one day ago.
The German Meteorological Service reported that temperatures will range between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius in parts of the east and southeast of the country, with the possibility of reaching 42 degrees in the Lausitz region. In the rest of Germany, temperatures are expected to range between 32 and 38 degrees Celsius, while the coastal areas remain more moderate.
The authority warned of the possibility that all parts of Germany would be exposed, later in the day, to severe thunderstorms that may be accompanied by heavy rain, strong winds, and large hailstones. It did not rule out the occurrence of very violent storms that could bring up to 50 liters of rain per square meter.
Yesterday, Saturday, Germany recorded a new national temperature record, after it reached, according to a preliminary reading, 41.5 degrees Celsius in the Möckern-Dravitz region in the eastern state of Saxony, exceeding the previous record of 41.3 degrees Celsius, which had been recorded just one day before.
Germany has been experiencing a heat wave for several days, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in a number of areas, amid a limited drop in temperatures during the night hours.
The German Meteorological Service confirmed that extreme weather phenomena, such as long heat waves, have become more frequent in Germany as a result of climate change, noting that the data show an increase in the average number of days in which temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius.
High alert
As the heat wave moved to the northeast of the continent, a state of maximum alert was declared in Switzerland, Austria and Hungary.
The Italian Ministry of Health issued a red level warning due to the heat wave in 18 cities, including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna, for Saturday and Sunday.
The flow of the Po River decreased dramatically as seawater advanced landward, posing a threat to agriculture and the ecosystem of Italy’s most important waterway.
On Saturday, maximum temperatures were recorded in several European countries, such as Denmark, where the temperature reached 37 degrees Celsius, for the first time since data recording began in 1874, and the Czech Republic, where the temperature exceeded 40.6 degrees for the first time.
In Switzerland, for the third day in a row, a record temperature was recorded for the month of June, reaching 39 degrees in the city of Basel.
The Spanish authorities reported recording more than 200 deaths, and deaths were also recorded in the rest of Europe, of the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, children and teenagers, in addition to the homeless on the streets. Heat causes death for several reasons, such as drowning, high body temperature, heart attack, and others.
In the east of the continent, Romania is preparing to declare a red alert starting Monday in most of its territory, as national meteorology forecasts “extreme temperatures” and “tropical nights” that will continue until July 1.
