Europe Heat Wave Shifts East After Shattering Records; Germany Sees New Highs

Europe is grappling with a severe heat wave that has shattered temperature records and is now moving eastward, threatening Central Europe and the Balkans with dangerous heat.

Germany has endured extreme temperatures for two consecutive days, with preliminary readings reaching 41.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday. The German Weather Service issued a red heat alert, warning that temperatures could still climb. This follows Friday's record of 41.3 degrees Celsius.

Several other European nations also reported record-breaking heat on Saturday. Denmark saw its hottest day since 1874, reaching 37 degrees Celsius. Switzerland recorded a new national high of 38.8 degrees Celsius, and the Czech Republic hit 40.6 degrees Celsius. Governments in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Moldova have issued maximum heat alerts, with Romania and Slovakia also warning residents of dangerously high temperatures.

Scientific assessments by the World Weather Attribution group indicate that this record-breaking heat wave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-induced climate change. The researchers found that such extreme heat events are now up to 200 times more likely than two decades ago, highlighting the escalating impact of global warming on European weather patterns.