Overview
- The World Health Organization reported more than 1,300 excess deaths in Europe since June 21, using excess mortality to count deaths above expected levels for the period.
- France recorded about 1,000 excess deaths between June 24 and June 28, health authorities said, and noted that roughly 85% of those extra fatalities were people aged 65 or older with provisional counts that may rise.
- National meteorological services registered new all-time highs across central Europe, including provisional readings around 41.7°C in Germany, about 41.1–41.9°C in the Czech Republic, and 40.5°C in Poland.
- Hospitals and emergency services have been overwhelmed, schools closed, power grids strained and authorities reported multiple drowning and heat-related deaths as people sought water to cool off.
- Rapid attribution work by World Weather Attribution and WHO statements link the event to human-driven climate change and warn the heat mass is shifting east with forecasts that more extreme episodes could follow in days to weeks.