Anna Hartz
Every year, countries face new temperature records and growing concerns about the impact on public health, agriculture and daily life.
Heatwaves have become a regular part of summer across Europe. Scientists say the latest spell of extreme heat is another sign of a warming climate.
A new report has concluded that the record-breaking heat now affecting Europe would have been almost impossible just 50 years ago.
Breaking records
The study was carried out by World Weather Attribution, an international research group that examines how climate change influences extreme weather events.
This week, several European countries have recorded exceptionally high temperatures.
The United Kingdom reached 36.1 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. It was the country’s highest June temperature on record, according to Videnskab.
France also experienced its hottest June days ever. The village of Pissos recorded 44.3 degrees Celsius.
New June temperature records have also been set in Spain, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
In Denmark, the national weather service has issued a heatwave warning through the weekend. Some areas are expected to reach 30 degrees or higher. Forecasts suggest temperatures could climb as high as 36 degrees in parts of the country. That would put long-standing Danish heat records at risk.
Can be deadly
Climate researcher Martin Olesen from the Danish Meteorological Institute reviewed the report and described it as thorough and convincing.
He said the study shows the current heatwave would have been extremely unlikely without the rise in global temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers examined the hottest days and nights recorded in Western and Central Europe between 1976 and 2026. They used weather observations and climate models to compare the chances of such a heatwave occurring in different years.
The report found that today’s extreme heat would have been almost impossible in 1976.
It also found that similar night temperatures would have been 100 times less likely in 2003. Daytime temperatures would have been 10 times less likely.
Scientists say the current heatwave is being driven by a combination of weather patterns and climate change. A strong high-pressure system has trapped hot air over much of Europe. Winds are also pushing very warm air north from the Sahara.
The report says El Niño is not responsible for the current conditions.
Researchers warn that extreme heat can be deadly. Previous studies estimated that tens of thousands of people died during European heatwaves in 2022 and 2023. Experts fear this summer could bring another heavy human toll.
