Germany and Italy endured sweltering conditions on Saturday as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in western Europe spread eastwards, after temperatures broke records above 40C (104F).
Denmark registered its highest temperature on record on Saturday, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. “With 36.6C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since measurements began in 1874,” it said in a post on X.
Slovakia, meanwhile, confirmed that Friday night was its warmest on record, with temperatures not dropping below 26.3C.
Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany have all experienced record heat in June, and the weather system could test more records as it rolls across Germany towards Poland.
Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-made climate change, which has made this week’s night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago.
“The heatwave is going to peak at the weekend at well over 40 degrees in some parts of Germany,” said Karsten Brandt, a meteorologist at the weather forecasting site Donnerwetter.
On Friday, a new German record of 41.3C was reached near the city of Saarbrücken close to the French border, a spokesperson for Germany’s national meteorological service said, noting the reading was still preliminary.
The service issued extreme heat warnings for nearly all of Germany on Saturday as authorities urged people to save water.
It said temperatures of 36C were expected across the board in the country, with local highs of 42C possible.
In France, dozens of people, both young and old, have died during the heatwave. Temperatures above 40C have disrupted rail travel and power generation, prompted alcohol bans and school suspensions, and postponed outdoor events.
Italy’s health ministry issued a red alert for the heatwave in 18 Italian cities including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna for Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 39C in some areas.
The French prime minister’s office said although the heatwave was moving on, pressure on the healthcare system would persist and hospitalisations would stay high for several days.
Reports of wildfires in France are up compared with the same period last year as a result of the heatwave, officials say.
Some public service providers, struggling with the prospect of damage to infrastructure, including buckling roads and swelling train tracks, have sought to reduce traffic.
Germany’s national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, has given customers the option of cancelling long-distance travel bookings into early next week without charge.
The company said its infrastructure was under particular strain because of sun exposure and additional risk to signals, tracks and overhead wires stemming from thunderstorms and wildfires.
Near Hamburg, the main traffic lane on a part of the A7 autobahn, one of Germany’s busiest motorways, was closed after the heat caused the asphalt to split, authorities said.
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The start of the Milan Pride march was delayed to avoid the worst of the heat.
The Ironman European Championship long-distance triathlon taking place on Sunday in Frankfurt shortened the cycling and running courses because of the heat, organisers said.
André Berghegger, the CEO of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, urged the public to use water sparingly.
“We should rely on voluntary cooperation as long as possible; local authorities should only issue bans if that doesn’t work,” he told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper.
The most extreme heat is forecast to begin fading at the weekend, with heavy thunderstorms expected on Sunday.
Across Europe, cultural landmarks have had to close, farming has suffered, and some hospitals have struggled to cope.
The heatwave has pushed temperatures up to 18C above their seasonal average, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor, driven by a phenomenon known as an Omega block.
This weather pattern traps a bulging ball of hot air over regions for extended periods, with cooler air on its fringes.
Demand for electric fans has shot up, and Asian air-conditioning manufacturers have reported a European sales boom.
Most of the housing stock in northern Europe is built to keep heat in rather than withstand it.