Europe reels from first major heatwave of summer, temperatures soar past 46 °C

Europe has been swept by its first major heatwave of the summer, driven by a persistent heat dome from Africa. Temperatures have surged across Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece and other regions, with several countries issuing public health alerts .

In Spain’s Huelva region, the mercury has hit a record-breaking 46 °C, making it the hottest June day on record , while Barcelona posted its hottest June average in over a century.

France has placed regions, including Paris, under red alerts, with schools closed and outdoor activities curtailed.

Wildfires have erupted in several countries—from Turkey’s western coast to rural Italy and Greece—as dry conditions and high winds fuel blazes . In Italy, a man in Bologna collapsed and died while working outdoors on a construction site, with heat suspected as the cause.

The United Nations, through Secretary-General António Guterres, has described the spike in deadly temperatures as a “new normal”, warning thousands could perish if climate action remains inadequate.

The World Health Organization projects that some 4,500 deaths may occur in coming days across heat-exposed regions.

Meanwhile in the UK and Ireland, a separate heatwave earlier this month is estimated to have caused nearly 600 excess deaths, and scientists emphasize that each degree of warming amplifies health risks.

Climate analysts underscore that such heat events are becoming more severe due to global warming, with recent research showing heatwaves in Europe are now up to 10 times more intense than in pre-industrial times—a pattern that may lead to 8,000–80,000 additional deaths annually by century's end .