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People seen cooling off at a spray mist fountain in Warsaw, Poland on 27 June. Alamy Stock Photo
record temperatures
More than 1,300 excess deaths recorded amid heatwave in Europe, WHO chief says
French health officials this morning said there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected in that country since Wednesday.
LAST UPDATE | 28 Jun
THE WORLD HEALTH Organization has said over 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded in Europe since 21 June in connection with the record-breaking heatwave roasting much of the continent.
Tens of millions have been braving a weekend of extreme temperatures in Europe as a deadly heatwave moves eastwards, with some countries announcing rising death tolls and health services warning of saturation.
French health officials this morning said there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected in that country just since Wednesday.
And across Europe, “more than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded since 21 June linked to high temperatures in Europe”, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.
“Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ – and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures,” he said.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average. Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 28, 2026
Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the…
At least 191 million people are forecast to endure temperatures of at least 35C in Europe today, with the heat particularly intense in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, according to AFP estimates.
A total of 381 million people in Europe, excluding Turkey, will see temperatures surpass 30C, according to analysis based on forecasts from the German Meteorological Service and 2025 population projections from the Joint Research Centre collated by Austrian NGO Klimadashboard.
Millions of people across the continent are currently “living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling”, Tedros warned.
“Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the ‘once-in-a-generation’ heatwave is now occurring nearly annual,” he said, pointing out that “Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average”.
The WHO chief said the United Nations health agency was “working with its Member States and partners to address the health threats posed by extreme heat through focusing on preparedness, prevention and stronger health system responses”.
He called on European countries to “implement heat health action plans”, as part of a push to safeguard health in the face of climate change.
Temperature records broken
The surge in temperatures has already broken national records.
The Czech Republic set its second temperature record in two days today, with 41.1C recorded in Doksany north of Prague, the meteorological institute CHMI said.
“This is the first time we have ever registered a temperature of 41 degrees in our official weather station network. Temperatures are still growing so this is not the final high,” CHMI added on X.
On Saturday, the weather service reported a new high of 40.9C, also in Doksany, beating a 14-year-old record.
Germany also set a new temperature record today, according to preliminary data from the German weather service.
A station in Coschen, near the Polish border in eastern Brandenburg, recorded 41.7C around 4pm (3pm Irish time), breaking the previous record of 41.5C set just a day earlier in Drewitz.
The UK and Switzerland both registered their hottest June days on record earlier in the week.
Authorities across the continent are continuing to respond to the extreme conditions, with health services under strain in France after emergency callouts in Paris rose by 80% compared to the same period last year.
Swiss operators also shut down reactors at Europe’s oldest nuclear plant after river temperatures rose too high to safely cool the system.
In France, a toddler died on Friday after being found in a hot car in Marseille, while more than 55 drownings have been linked to the ongoing heatwave.
Public events have also been disrupted, with Pride marches postponed in Paris and Lyon due to pressure on emergency services, while a number of festivals and outdoor gatherings have been cancelled or restricted across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Scientists say the heatwave has “shattered numerous temperature records” and is consistent with patterns of human-driven climate change, which is making extreme heat more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization warned that Europe is now experiencing “what we expect to see in a changing climate”, as governments across the continent brace for further disruption as the heat shifts east into the Balkans and beyond.
Additional reporting from Andrew Walsh
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