Europe faces another day of record-breaking heat, as countries warn it’s already killed hundreds

By Laura Paddison, CNN

(CNN) — Another day, another extreme heat endurance test for Europe as multiple countries are braced for triple digit temperatures Thursday, potentially breaking national records for the second straight day.

Swaths of Europe continue to bake under a heat dome, a vast area of stagnant high pressure that acts like a lid on a pot, trapping heat. Heat domes are not unusual, but are being supercharged by the human-driven climate crisis.

This heat wave has brought unprecedented temperatures, with several countries setting or announcing national heat records Wednesday:

• France endured its hottest day on record for the second straight day, with an average temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) during a 24-hour period, according to weather service Météo-France. Temperatures spiked above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) in many towns and cities, including Paris, and multiple locations broke their all-time temperature records.
• The UK broke its record for hottest June temperature three times, according to the UK Met Office. The new record now stands at 96.98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 Celsius), set in Gosport, in southern England. The previous June high was 96.08 degrees Fahrenheit (35.6 Celsius), last set 50 years ago.
• Spanish weather service AEMET announced that Monday and Tuesday were Spain’s warmest June days on record, with temperatures 12.8 degrees Fahrenheit (7.1 Celsius) above average.

The impacts have been widespread: trains were cancelled or restricted in the UK and France, nearly 10,000 schools closed across France, and hundreds closed or cut hours in the UK, power outages affected parts of France and Italy and the Louvre and Eiffel Tower closed early,

The heat has quickly turned deadly. In Spain, 212 people have died due to the heat wave over the last four days, according to data from the country’s mortality monitoring system, MoMo.

At least 48 people have drowned in France seeking relief from the heat over the last week, according to a Reuters report, and three children have been found dead in hot cars. In Italy, at least five heat-related deaths have been reported, including a vineyard worker, a farmhand and a homeless man.

Potential for more record-breaking heat

Temperatures are quickly ramping up Thursday. France will continue to be “scorching,” according to Météo-France. Red alerts cover 72 of the country’s 96 mainland regions, indicating the most severe heat warning.

Temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) are expected across the country and the country could, again, break its record for hottest day.

The UK remains under a very rare red extreme heat warning, with the potential for temperatures to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) or more, which would beat yesterday’s June heat record. The heat warning has been extended into Friday for London and other parts of southeast England.

Belgian authorities have issued a rare heat warning and Germany is expected to reach temperatures in the high 90s Fahrenheit (high 30s Celsius) Thursday.

How long will the heat wave last?

The heat will ease toward the weekend in the UK and France, with the most significant relief coming Sunday.

However, other parts of the continent are bracing for extreme temperatures over the weekend as the heat slowly moves eastward.

The peak of the heat wave will be centered over Germany Saturday with many cities throughout the country expected to reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). Poland, Hungry and Croatia are among other countries bracing for extreme conditions.

Temperature anomalies will slowly decrease over Eastern Europe, but much of next week will remain 9 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 10 Celsius) above average.

Taylor Ward, Barbie Latza Nadeau, Joseph Ataman and Andrew Freedman contributed reporting.

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