Europe braces for new heatwave as June records tumble

Europe is preparing for another severe heatwave, projected to bring temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius across the continent. This comes after a record-breaking June for Western Europe and a globally significant warm month, according to the EU's Copernicus climate change service. The average temperature in Western Europe in June was 20.74 degrees Celsius, more than three degrees above the 1991-2020 average. Globally, June was the second warmest on record, 0.56 degrees above the 1991-2020 average and 1.39 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

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Temperatures will rise up to hellish 43 degrees Celsius in Portugal and southern Spain, but France, the Benelux countries and Central Asia are also affected.

Barcelona recorded its highest temperature in 112 years at 40.7 degrees Celsius. Orange alerts are in effect for much of France, with highs expected around 38 degrees Celsius in Bordeaux and Perpignan. Northern Italy and London are also anticipating temperatures in the mid-30s Celsius.

Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, warned that a powerful heatwave is forming over the Atlantic, set to turn Europe into a "red zone." He stressed that extreme heat must be recognized as a serious public health emergency, not just a weather forecast. Kluge has convened an urgent meeting with 41 member states and the European Commission.

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Countries must finally stop treating extreme heat as just another weather forecast and start taking it as a serious, extreme public health crisis.

Alarmingly, Kluge revealed that less than half of European countries have a national action plan for extreme heat. While some nations have implemented measures, others face bureaucratic delays and a lack of climate-controlled public shelters. Slovenia is noted as having a functional warning system.

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