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Many parts of Europe are experiencing the first heatwave of the year as a result of warm air masses from Africa, setting new daytime and overnight temperature records for June. The heat poses a risk to people's health and the environment.

It is premature to attribute the unusually early heatwave to climate change, but this is consistent with climate scenarios which predict more frequent, drawn out and intense heat events as greenhouse gas concentrations lead to a rise in global temperatures.  

As of 26 June, a number of European countries, including Austria, France, Italy, Poland and Switzerland issued amber alerts (and in some locations top-level red-alerts) for the heat, which is expected to last until the end of the month.

Temperatures above 40 °C were recorded in some places in In North Africa. Serious concerns have been raised about the well-being of players at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt as a consequence of extreme heat.

National meteorological and hydrological services in Europe are working closely with national and local authorities on heat-health action plans to protect lives. These heat-health early warning systems have activated civil protection efforts across the region.

Spain was the first country to be hit by intense heat, accompanied by an influx of Saharan dust. This then gradually spread into other countries in central Europe.

WMO’s European regional climate monitoring centre operated by the Deutscher Wetterdienst issued a Climate Watch on 25 June about “above-normal temperature for the next week over large parts of Europe.”

Temperatures in central Europe are expected to be between 3°C and 6°C above the long-term average, and 1°C to 3°C above average over remaining areas, according to the regional centre at Offenbach (Germany). A daily maximum temperature above 30°C is expected for most of the area during most of the time, partly above 35°C.

It warned that drought may accompany the heatwave in some areas, especially in Eastern Europe, whilst frequent thunderstorms with locally large hail are expected in Eastern Central and South-Eastern Europe. There will be a risk of heat stress for vulnerable people and of wildfires, it said.

The regional climate monitoring centre provides guidance information in a pre-operational mode for national meteorological and hydrological services, which are responsible for issuing warnings and advice in their own territory.

Meteo-France advised that temperatures between 26 and 28 June may rise above 40°C – a level also witnessed in part of Spain. A number of maximum daily and minimum overnight June temperature records were broken – including the city of Nice where overnight temperatures on 24 and 25 June did not fall below 25°C. The number of heatwaves in France has doubled in the past 34 years and is expected to double again by 2050, according to Meteo-France.

The Deutscher Wetterdienst said that 51 observing stations recorded new June temperature records and that 39 stations measured temperatures above 35°C on 25 June. It announced a new national temperature record for June on 26 June of 38.6°C recorded at a weather station in Berlin.

Austria is expected to have its warmest June on record, 4.5°C above the long-term average and ahead of 2003, according to the national meteorological and hydrological service ZAMG.

New June temperature records were also announced by Meteo-Suisse.  

Heat – an increasing global problem

The heatwave in Europe follows extreme heat episodes in Australia, India, Pakistan and parts of the Middle East in 2019. More are expected to follow during this northern hemisphere summer.

Heat events kill thousands of people every year and often trigger secondary events such as wildfires and failures to electrical grids.  

Between 2000 and 2016 the number of people exposed worldwide to heatwaves increased by an estimated 126 million. Urbanization compounds the problem. Heat stroke, dehydration, cardiovascular and other temperature related diseases are major health risks.

WMO is therefore stepping up joint action with the World Health Organization to try to tackle health risks posed by extreme weather, including heatwaves, and air pollution, with a special focus on urban areas.

WMO also supports the Global Heat Health Information Network.

Further information:

WHO European Office – advice for heat