A powerful heatwave descended on large portions of Europe Sunday, pushing temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius — about 104 degrees Fahrenheit — and setting off a cascade of warnings, travel disruptions, and concerns for both people and animals.
The dangerous heat arrived on June 21, the summer solstice and the traditional start of the year’s three hottest months in the northern hemisphere. The timing raised alarms that extreme conditions could set in early and linger.
Italy had already endured several consecutive days of temperatures above 35C, prompting authorities to declare a red alert for June 21 in eight cities, among them Bologna, Florence, Milan, and Turin.
In Rome, crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square to hear the Pope deliver his customary Sunday prayer from a window of the Apostolic Palace. Many pilgrims shielded themselves from the intense sun using parasols and umbrellas.
The source of the heat is a massive surge of hot air pushing northward from the Sahara Desert, driven by a powerful high-pressure system referred to as the “African anticyclone.” Weather experts say this system is forming what’s known as a “heat dome,” which traps hot air over western and central Europe and causes temperatures to climb higher with each passing day.
In Madrid, both locals and visitors found ways to cope at the city’s well-known El Rastro flea market, fanning themselves and reaching for cold drinks. “I’m dressed all in white because it’s so hot, and I’m carrying my little electric fan everywhere I go,” said Haily San Cesario, a 22-year-old engineer from Miami.
Spain’s national weather agency, AEMET, placed red and orange alerts across multiple regions, warning that temperatures could hit 39 to 40 degrees Celsius across broad stretches of the Iberian Peninsula and Mallorca. Officials said the heatwave was expected to continue at least through the middle of the week.
The extreme temperatures have also begun causing problems for transportation. At Paris’s Gare Montparnasse station, SNCF chief Jean Castex told reporters the rail network was “strongly impacted” by the heat, which poses a risk of damaging overhead power lines and causing train tracks to expand and warp. He said 3,500 workers had already been deployed to monitor the network, with an additional 2,000 standing by for emergency repairs. He also urged travelers with health vulnerabilities to postpone their trips. The rail operator has scrapped 71 intercity trains through Monday on major routes.
Germany has also been feeling the heat, with temperatures reaching as high as 38C. The country’s DWD weather service issued warnings of severe thunderstorms in eastern parts of the country, including Berlin, where heavy downpours disrupted the outdoor Fete de la Musique festival. Organizers were forced to clear the grounds of the Berlin Open tennis tournament as rain and strong winds moved in, delaying the women’s singles final between Jessica Pegula of the United States and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.
Wildlife is suffering as well. A rescue center near the Belgian city of Namur reported taking in roughly 150 heat-stressed animals over recent days, with young birds bearing the brunt of the crisis. “Nestlings prefer to jump rather than let themselves die and literally cook in their nests,” said CREAVES founder Romain De Jaegere, who noted that animal rescue centers throughout Belgium were being overwhelmed with cases.
Scientists say this kind of extreme heat is becoming more common across Europe, with climate change driving heatwaves to occur more often and with greater intensity.
