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10:16 27.06.2026 •
A man refreshed himself during a heatwave in Chamonix, France, June 25, 2026, as temperatures exceeding 30°C at 1,000 metres altitude raise concerns about glacier melt, safety and the impact on the Alpine environment
Photo: Reuters
Health authorities across Europe were on high alert on Friday as a killer heatwave progressed across the continent, prompting alcohol bans in France and cracking road surfaces open in Germany.
From Britain and France to Germany, Italy, Austria and Serbia, Europe sizzled under a record-breaking ball of heat rolling across the region. Scientists said the heatwave was the worst recorded for Europe, where the climate is changing faster than anywhere else.
Temperatures were probably past their peak in France and Britain, where records for June have been broken. But in Italy, the heat was expected to intensify into the weekend, bringing the summer’s first readings of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit)
At least 55 deaths linked to the heatwave have been reported in France, where temperatures in Paris hit 40.9 C on Wednesday. Even though temperatures were expected to ease, authorities braced for more casualties.
Across the continent, cultural landmarks have been forced to close, and farming has suffered. Paris police asked organisers of major events, including the Solidays music festival, to cancel them. Organisers of the Pride festival said they would reschedule.
England and Netherlands at code red
Extreme heat caused the surface of the A2 motorway in eastern Germany to buckle and rupture over several lanes on Thursday evening, according to the BZ newspaper, damaging up to 30 vehicles, leaving two people with minor injuries and forcing the highway to be closed.
Britain's Met Office extended a red heat alert into Friday for a large area of southern England, the first time such warnings have been issued for three consecutive days.
A rare 'code red' alert for extreme heat was issued for almost the whole of the Netherlands and many schools were closed as temperatures up to 40 C were expected.
In Serbia, authorities issued an amber alert, with temperatures of around 36 C expected. Officials in Belgrade warned people to drink and stay indoors during the hottest hours.
Fans flew off the shelves in Britain and Asian air conditioning manufacturers reported a European sales boom. In France, the state-owned power utility EDF pledged to spend €80 million ($90 million) on cooling systems for schools, kindergartens and day-care centres.
According to the most recent data from the OECD-affiliated International Energy Agency (IEA), issued in July 2025, household ownership of air conditioning in Europe remains relatively low, at around 20%.
'Omega block' heat bulge over Europe
The heatwave, which has pushed temperatures as much as 18 C above their seasonal average, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor, is being driven by a weather pattern known as an Omega block.
This traps a bulging ball of hot air over regions for extended periods, with cooler weather on its fringes.
Scientists said the record-breaking heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change, which has made this week's stiflingly hot night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago.
"Over the region studied, this heatwave is the most severe ever recorded," the World Weather Attribution group of climate scientists said in their latest analysis.
'Apocalyptic' for health workers
French authorities announced a ban on drinking alcohol in public on Friday, when France were due to play Norway in Boston in the soccer World Cup.
French doctors and hospital workers reported an increase in emergency calls and treatment.
Wilfrid Samut, spokesperson for the Association of Emergency Room Doctors of France, said hospitals were ill prepared for the heatwave.
"The impact on the mental health of healthcare workers is enormous," he said. "It's apocalyptic."
EU Commission HQ forced to shut down air-conditioning amid heatwave
A woman walks with an umbrella to protect herself from the direct sun on the Robert Schuman Roundabout in front of the Berlaymont building
Photo: Getty Images
The European Commission’s headquarters was forced to shut down its air-conditioning system on Friday due to the heat wave.
Staff working at the Berlaymont building received a text at midday, reading: “BERL — URGENT — Due to extreme weather conditions, forced shut down of air cooling system from floor 1 to 7 for the rest of the day.”
The 13-story building is home to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, her 26 commissioners and about 3,000 staff. Von der Leyen works on the 13th floor, and most of her commissioners’ offices are housed on floors eight or above.
Belgium and much of Europe have been sweltering for the past week, with record-breaking temperatures.
The Commission issued guidance for its staff earlier this week, which included avoiding going outside at the hottest times of day, drinking water regularly and starting work earlier.
But the advice angered some Commission staff who work in buildings without air-conditioning, including DG AGRI, according to internal communications seen by POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook.
“It’s like feudalism,” a Commission official working on a lower level of the Berlaymont, granted anonymity to speak freely, told POLITICO on Friday, referring to the fact that upper floors housing commissioners got to keep their AC on. A second official agreed it was a “disgrace.”
A third staffer working on the 8th floor told POLITICO on Friday that even with working AC, the temperature inside was still 25.7 degrees.
The heat wave has prompted a renewed discussion about the lack of air-conditioning systems in homes and offices across much of Europe. Only about one-fifth of households on the continent have AC. In Belgium, one-fifth of all trains are without AC, prompting the national rail company to cancel many peak-hour services.
The European Parliament has also faced blackouts this week due to energy consumption from cranking up its cooling system.
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