Germany, Denmark gripped by record temperatures as European heatwave moves east

BERLIN/MILAN/COPENHAGEN – From Scandinavia to the Alps, Europeans endured sweltering conditions on June 27 as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in Western Europe spread eastwards, with record-breaking temperatures breaching 40 deg C in some spots.

Denmark logged its highest-ever temperature after Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany have all experienced record heat in June, and the weather system began rolling towards Poland.

On June 26, a new German record of 41.3 deg C was reached near the city of Saarbruecken close to the French border, Germany’s National Meteorological Service said, citing preliminary data.

Meanwhile, the Danish Meteorological Institute reported a 37 deg C reading north of the city of Aarhus on June 27, the highest on record since measurements began in 1874.

Germany’s Met service issued extreme heat warnings for nearly all of the country on June 27 as the authorities urged people to save water.

It said temperatures of 36 deg C were expected across the board in the country, with local highs of 42 deg C possible.

In France, dozens of people, both young and old, have died during the heatwave. Temperatures above 40 deg C have disrupted rail travel and power generation, sparked alcohol bans, suspended schools and postponed outdoor events.

“The heatwave is going to peak at the weekend, well over 40 deg C in some parts of Germany,” said Karsten Brandt, a meteorologist at weather forecasting site Donnerwetter.de.

The Ironman European Championship long-distance triathlon taking place on June 28 in Frankfurt shortened the cycling and running courses because of the heat, organisers said.

Italy’s health ministry issued a red alert for the heatwave in 18 Italian cities including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna for June 27 and June 28, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 39 deg C in some areas.

Italian singer Loredana Berte said she had cancelled a concert scheduled for June 28 in the northern city of Bergamo given the heat on the advice of her management and medical staff.

“Performing under these conditions would pose a real risk to my health,” Berte, who was married to Swedish tennis star Bjorn Borg in the early 1990s, wrote on X.

Free cancellations to reduce rail travel

Struggling with the prospect of damage to infrastructure like buckling roads and swelling train tracks, some major public service providers have sought to reduce traffic.

German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn has given customers the option of cancelling long-distance travel bookings into early July without charge as a result of the heatwave.

The firm said its infrastructure is under particular strain because of sun exposure and additional risk to signals, tracks and overhead wires stemming from thunderstorms and wildfires.

Another operator, National Express, said it would suspend trains on its Rhine-Ruhr-Express line on the afternoon of June 27 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, as a preventative measure in case services came to an unplanned halt.

Andre Berghegger, chief executive of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, urged the public to use water sparingly given the heatwave.

“We should rely on voluntary cooperation as long as possible; local authorities should only issue bans if that doesn’t work,” he told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung newspaper.

Record temperatures driven by ‘Omega block’ phenomenon

The most extreme heat is forecast to begin fading over the weekend of June 27 to June 28, with heavy thunderstorms expected on June 28.

Across Europe, cultural landmarks have had to close, farming has suffered, and some hospitals have struggled to cope.

The heatwave has pushed temperatures up to 18 deg C above their seasonal average, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor, and is being driven by a phenomenon known as an Omega block.

This weather pattern traps a bulging ball of hot air over regions for extended periods, with cooler air on its fringes.

Demand for electric fans has shot up, and Asian air-conditioning makers have reported a European sales boom.

Most of the housing stock in Northern Europe is not built to temper heat but rather to keep it in.

The present heatwave will begin shifting by the end of June, hitting Central Europe and the Balkans, the World Meteorological Organization said.

Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without man-made climate change, which has made recent night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago. REUTERS