A powerful heat wave swept across parts of Europe on Sunday as the continent marked the start of meteorological summer, with authorities issuing high-level weather alerts, disrupting transport systems and warning of dangerous health risks linked to extreme temperatures.
The surge in heat coincided with the summer solstice on June 21, which traditionally marks the beginning of the three hottest months in the Northern Hemisphere. Meteorologists said the conditions were driven by a mass of hot air moving north from the Sahara Desert, strengthened by a high-pressure system known as the African anticyclone.
The system has formed a heat dome, trapping hot air over Western and Central Europe and pushing temperatures steadily higher. Experts said the phenomenon is responsible for prolonged periods of extreme heat, with limited overnight cooling in affected regions.
It is the second major heat wave to hit Europe this year, following unusually high temperatures last month that also strained infrastructure and public health systems.
Extreme heat events in Europe have been linked to significant mortality. The World Health Organization’s regional office for Europe has recorded more than 200,000 deaths attributed to extreme heat over the past four years, underscoring the growing impact of climate-related temperature spikes.
In France, authorities placed roughly 35 departments under the highest red alert level as temperatures climbed. The heat has placed significant pressure on transportation systems, including France’s national railway operator SNCF, where officials warned of potential damage to overhead power lines and rail deformation caused by thermal expansion.
SNCF canceled 71 intercity train services from Sunday into Monday across several major routes. The company deployed about 3,500 staff to monitor rail infrastructure, while an additional 2,000 workers were placed on standby for emergency repairs if needed. Authorities also urged vulnerable groups to avoid unnecessary travel during peak heat conditions.
Despite the extreme temperatures, Paris’s annual street music festival, Fête de la Musique, went ahead, although officials banned alcohol consumption in public areas under the highest alert designation. The Louvre Museum canceled a scheduled free outdoor concert as part of precautionary measures.
In Germany, meteorological authorities forecast temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius early in the week, rising to as high as 39 degrees Celsius in some areas. Weather officials also warned of a shift toward unstable atmospheric conditions, increasing the risk of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in the coming days.
Severe storms already disrupted outdoor events across western Germany on Friday, forcing organizers of the Berlin Open tennis tournament to evacuate spectator areas amid heavy rain and strong winds. The women’s singles final between Jessica Pegula of the United States and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic was postponed.
Germany’s DLRG water rescue association warned the public not to underestimate the dangers of swimming in rivers and lakes during hot weather. The warning came after five people were reported dead or missing while swimming over the weekend in regions including Franconia, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Italy has also been experiencing sustained high temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius for several days, prompting red alerts in eight cities, including Bologna, Florence, Milan and Turin.
In Spain, the national meteorological agency AEMET issued red and orange warnings across multiple regions, with temperatures expected to exceed 39 to 40 degrees Celsius across much of the Iberian Peninsula and Mallorca. Officials said the heat wave is likely to persist until at least midweek.
In Madrid, authorities canceled a public screening of a World Cup match between Spain and Saudi Arabia due to extreme heat conditions, reflecting growing disruptions to public events across southern Europe as the continent faces an increasingly intense early-summer heat wave.
