Britain, Switzerland break June temperature record as deadly heatwave grips Europe

Western Europe remained in the grip of a deadly early summer heatwave on Thursday as record-breaking temperatures scorched parts of Britain, Switzerland, and France, leaving dozens dead, disrupting power supplies, and forcing the closure of schools and cultural landmarks.

Authorities across the region urged residents to adjust their daily routines to avoid heat-related illnesses as temperatures climbed to unprecedented levels for June. In Paris, officials announced a ban on public alcohol consumption starting Friday at noon as hospitals struggled to cope with a growing number of patients suffering from heat-related conditions.

"We are just at the start of seeing an increase in people going to emergency wards," French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said during a news conference.

Paris endured another sweltering day after temperatures reached a record 40.9 degrees Celsius (105.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday. On Thursday, temperatures in the French capital remained just below 40 C at Parc Montsouris in the city's southern district.

Britain also set a new June temperature record, with the Met Office reporting a provisional high of 36.7 C in southwest England, surpassing the previous record set only a day earlier. The agency extended its red heat alert through Friday across much of southern England, marking the first time such warnings have remained in effect for three consecutive days. The Netherlands also issued a similar warning for Friday.

"Significant disruption to daily life is likely, and the public should take every effort to adapt their daily routines to cope with these levels of heat, which up to now have been extremely rare for the UK," said Andy Page, chief meteorologist at the Met Office.

In Switzerland, temperatures exceeded 37 C for the first time ever in June, reaching 38 C in Basel near the borders with Germany and France, according to Swiss meteorological authorities.

Meanwhile, Germany, Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic are expected to experience even higher temperatures in the coming days as the heatwave spreads farther east and south.

France has reported at least 48 drowning deaths since the heatwave began, with many victims attempting to cool off in lakes and rivers. Authorities also confirmed that three young children died after being left inside hot vehicles in separate incidents.

Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire warned that the heat poses a significant risk not only to the elderly but also to otherwise healthy adults who underestimate the dangers.

"People aged between 50 and 70 who are generally in good health often think this is just a normal warm period and continue their daily activities as usual. They really need to protect themselves," he said.

In Germany, the German Life Saving Association reported that more than 20 people have died in swimming-related accidents since late last week.

The extreme heat is also taking a toll on agriculture and the workforce. French agriculture officials warned that production of cereals, livestock, poultry, fruits, and vegetables is expected to decline, particularly for field-grown crops such as carrots. Significant crop losses could lead to higher food prices.

In Italy, estimates from the CGIL trade union and Greenpeace Italy suggest that as many as 1.5 million workers—including construction workers, farmers, and delivery personnel—could face serious health risks as temperatures are expected to peak over the next three days. Italian media also reported five heat-related deaths on Wednesday.

Several Italian regions have banned outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day, while the government announced financial support for businesses forced to suspend operations because of the extreme heat.

Scientists say the heatwave is being fueled by an "Omega block," a weather pattern that traps hot air over large regions for extended periods. According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, temperatures have reached as much as 18 C above seasonal averages. Experts say climate change is making both heatwaves and severe storms more frequent and intense.

"Europe's savage heatwave has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it. It's the latest price to pay for fossil fuel pollution baking our planet," U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell said.

"Schools closing, the vulnerable dying, economies sweating—this is what the climate crisis looks like in practice, and it's just getting started," he added.

Although air conditioning remains relatively uncommon across Europe, manufacturers from Asia are experiencing increased demand as households and businesses seek relief from rising temperatures.

The heat has also disrupted education. French Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 13,500 schools were either closed or operating on modified schedules on Thursday.

In Britain, more than 1,000 schools closed fully or partially after classroom temperatures exceeded 40 C in some locations. Officials also expressed concern over children spending time on treeless playgrounds as the school term continues.

Many tourists have also altered their travel plans. U.S. visitor Keaghan Cronin, who was cooling off with her children in public sprinklers in Paris, said the family would cut their vacation short because of the oppressive heat.

"They're very uncomfortable. We're actually going to leave a little early because it's just too hot," she said. -Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Makini Brice, Ingrid Melander, Sybille de la Hamaide and Gus Trompiz in Paris, Sarah Young and Sam Tabahriti in London, Charlotte van Campenhout and Bart Meijer in Amsterdam, Francois Murphy in Vienna, Dave Graham in Zurich and Alvise Armellini, Giselda Vagnoni, Sudip Kar-Gupta and Matthias Williams; Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Rod Nickel and Matthew Lewis/Reuters