Europe Records Hottest June Day as Heat Wave Persists

Europe recorded its hottest June day on record Wednesday as a heat wave pushed temperatures above 35 C for an estimated 94 million people, most of them in France and Spain. France logged its highest temperature since measurements began in 1947, with the national indicator averaging 30 C across 30 stations, according to provisional data from the national weather agency.

Spain also set a June record with an average temperature of 28.17 C on Tuesday.

Maximum temperatures are forecast to surpass 30 C for more than 350 million people, or roughly two-thirds of the continent’s population, based on German weather service forecasts and 2025 population projections. The current heat wave is significantly exacerbated by human-induced climate change, a scientific study published this week concluded, noting that temperatures would have been 2-4 degrees cooler without it.

Britain recorded its highest June temperature ever at 36.1 C. In Italy, 16 cities remain under red alert.

Schools, offices and factories across the continent closed early or shifted staff to remote work as indoor conditions became difficult to tolerate. Delivery riders in Rome continued working despite restrictions on outdoor labor, saying they had no choice. Greenpeace measured surface temperatures of 80 C on asphalt near Rome’s Termini railway station. Power outages were reported in multiple areas.

At a London care home, elderly residents sought shade while coping with the record heat. A 97-year-old resident said the situation required finding new ways to protect against nature. A 25-year-old decorator in London said he felt as though he was “practically swimming in my own sweat” while resting in the shade.

The World Health Organization warned that the heat wave poses health risks to Europeans.