Record-Breaking Temperatures Across UK and Switzerland
The UK and Switzerland both experienced their highest June temperatures on record on Thursday amid a heatwave intensified by climate change. In the UK, a provisional temperature of 36.4C (97.5F) was recorded in Yeovilton, Somerset, surpassing the previous June record of 36.1C set in Gosport, Hampshire, just a day earlier. This had itself exceeded the prior peak of 35.6C recorded in Southampton in 1976.
Switzerland’s national weather agency, MétéoSuisse, reported temperatures exceeding 37C for the first time in June, breaking a record from 1947. At the Basel weather station, where the 1947 record was set, a temperature of 38C was recorded.
Earlier on Thursday, the UK Met Office noted a sweltering night in Cardiff, Wales, where temperatures did not fall below 23.5C, marking the highest minimum temperature ever recorded in June in the UK.
Widespread Heatwave Across Western Europe
The intense heat extended across much of western Europe, with at least 101 million people expected to experience temperatures above 35C on Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse.
In France, where three-quarters of the country remained under extreme heat alert, the national weather agency recorded the hottest night since records began in 1947, with overnight temperatures from Wednesday to Thursday breaking previous records this week.
Heat-Related Fatalities and Emergencies in France
Public prosecutors linked the heatwave to the death of a three-year-old boy who became trapped in his family’s car in the suburbs of Paris. Officials stated the child was believed to be napping but had climbed into the car and was unable to exit after the child locks engaged.
Earlier in the week, extreme temperatures in France were associated with the deaths of two other young children. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported that at least 40 people, many of them young, had drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas.
Authorities across France have been responding to the heatwave by shutting down three nuclear reactors due to elevated temperatures in surrounding cooling waters, closing gardens and parks in Paris to protect vulnerable populations, and adapting school buildings for hundreds of thousands of teenagers sitting national exams.
Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire reported an
“increase in mortality”in the capital but did not provide specific figures. He stated,
“Pretty much all our indicators are in a critical state,”referencing emergency service calls, hospital admissions, and deaths.
The office of France’s health minister, Stéphanie Rist, reported 25 cardiac arrests in Paris over 24 hours on Wednesday, compared to an average of fewer than 10. Nationwide, emergency room visits for heat-related conditions had quadrupled.
Heatwave Impact in Other European Countries
In the Netherlands, most weather alerts had been lifted by Thursday, but a public institute estimated that the heatwave may have caused 212 deaths between Sunday and Wednesday by comparing daily death statistics with historical data.
Spain recorded its highest daily average temperatures in June since at least 1950, with 28.1C on Monday and 28.2C on Tuesday. The northern regions bore the brunt of the heat, with temperatures exceeding 40C in parts of the Basque Country. The Cantabrian village of Tama reached a record high of 43.7C on Tuesday.
In Italy, courts in Palermo, Sicily, suspended all non-urgent hearings until 29 June due to malfunctioning air conditioning. The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported five heatwave-related deaths, including two farmworkers and a builder.
The Netherlands issued a rare red alert for the extreme temperatures expected on Friday. Germany prepared for temperatures between 35C and 41C on Friday and Saturday in some regions. Open-air sports events were cancelled, and Deutsche Bahn, the national rail operator, warned customers of potential disruptions caused by wildfires, heavy rain, and thunderstorms.
Climate Crisis and Health Impacts
Scientists attribute the severity of current heatwaves to carbon pollution from fossil fuels, estimating that temperatures across Europe are between 2C and 4C higher due to this influence.
Thousands of premature deaths are likely linked to the heat, though comprehensive statistical analysis is ongoing. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found that 3,000 people died in Britain due to summer heatwaves between 2020 and 2024.
The UKHSA extended its heat health alert by 24 hours to 11pm on Friday. This is only the second red alert ever issued by the agency. The Met Office also extended its heat warning for southeast England until 9pm on Friday.
Health experts warned in October that rising global temperatures would increase heat-related health risks worldwide.
“Europe’s savage heatwave is the latest price to pay for fossil fuel pollution baking our planet,”said Simon Stiell, the UN’s climate chief.
“Schools closing, the vulnerable dying, economies sweating: this is what the climate crisis looks like in practice, and it’s just getting started.”
Global warming will continue until carbon emissions reach net zero, but emissions rose again in 2025.
“Extreme heat will keep getting worse, and other climate impacts – from mega-droughts, floods, wildfires and storms – will keep hammering every economy and population harder each year. But the solutions are equally clear: a faster shift to renewables – which are now much cheaper than fossil fuels – as well as protecting forests. There’s no time to lose.”
The UK parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to set a legally binding target of an 87% reduction in emissions by 2040. This target was proposed by the Climate Change Committee, the government’s official adviser, which in May described the UK’s infrastructure as
“woefully unprepared”and in urgent need of improvement to protect people from climate impacts.
Local Responses and Public Health Measures
During the UK heatwave, many schools have closed and rail services have been cancelled. The National Education Union has called on the government to establish a timetable for installing air conditioning in schools, noting the current uneven distribution across the country.
On Thursday, South East Water implemented a hosepipe ban in Kent, affecting approximately 850,000 customers. Other areas served by the company, including Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire, remain on red alert, with customers urged to minimize water usage due to increased demand amid rising temperatures.
The ambulance service responded to a record 642 Category 1 emergency calls on Wednesday. Hampshire police continued searching for a 15-year-old boy who went missing while swimming in a lake the previous day.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan launched the city’s first heat plan on Thursday, stating,
“Extreme temperatures are no longer a future threat, they are a present danger.”The plan includes retrofitting homes at high risk of overheating, increasing tree cover, and ensuring safe access to water for paddling and swimming. A 2025 study found that the proportion of UK homes reporting overheating rose to 80% within a decade.
Measurements by Greenpeace recorded surface temperatures of 50C to 60C on pavements, rail platforms, and building sites across London on Wednesday. The black rubber floor of a playground in Islington reached 53C at 5pm.
“This record-smashing heatwave has turned London into a sticky, sizzling cauldron,”said Mel Evans, Greenpeace UK’s head of climate.
“This isn’t just weather, it’s a public health emergency driven by fossil fuel giants. These abnormal temperatures are stretching homes, schools, transport and our own health to breaking point.”
Additional reporting by Farryn Stock.
