Europe hit by a deadly heatwave as temperature records fall and public events are suspended

An extreme heatwave has swept across Europe, setting historic temperature records in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, while the death toll continues to rise in France and Spain.

Because of the high risk it poses to public health, authorities in several European countries have decided to cancel concerts, festivals, sporting events and other activities involving large crowds.

In Germany, the highest temperature ever recorded was measured at 41.3 degrees Celsius in Saarbrücken, a city in the southwest of the country near the border with France. New June records were also set in Belgium and the Netherlands, while in the United Kingdom the thermometer reached 37.1 degrees Celsius.

According to calculations by AFP, around 150 million people in Europe were exposed to temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius on Friday. Meteorologists warn that more records could be broken over the weekend in the Czech Republic, Austria and the Balkan countries.

Scientists from World Weather Attribution say this is the strongest heatwave ever recorded for this time of year, with temperatures 5 to 12 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average. According to them, climate change is turning Europe into the fastest-warming continent in the world.

The impact of the extreme temperatures has also been felt heavily by healthcare systems. In France, authorities have warned of an increase in deaths, while hospitals in the Paris region have activated emergency plans because of overcrowding.

In Spain, the national monitoring system MoMo reported 327 deaths linked to high temperatures from Sunday to Thursday alone. In France, the number of drowning victims during this heatwave has risen to 55, with most of the cases occurring in unsupervised areas.

The scorching temperatures have also led to other tragedies. In Marseille, an 18-month-old baby died after being found inside an overheated vehicle. Similar cases involving children left in cars have also been reported in Paris and Carpentras.

The high risk has forced authorities to postpone or cancel a series of public events. In Paris, the Pride Parade and the Solidays music festival were postponed, while in the Netherlands the Defqon.1 festival was cancelled after a red alert for extreme heat was issued. In Germany, the Hamburg half marathon was also cancelled.

The heatwave has also affected the transport and energy sectors. A Eurostar train carrying around 400 passengers was left stranded near Brussels, while in Switzerland the Beznau nuclear power plant shut down two reactors after the temperature of the Aare River rose too much to allow them to be cooled.

In Spain, although temperatures have started to fall, a major wildfire near Barcelona forced around 16,000 residents to remain in their homes. Authorities have arrested one person suspected of deliberate arson.

Meanwhile, researchers in Switzerland warn that this heatwave is accelerating glacier melt. According to them, the snow reserves accumulated during winter are expected to run out several weeks earlier than usual, making this summer one of the most alarming for Alpine ecosystems.