Europe’s Heatwave Shifts East as France Raises Health Alert

Thu Jun 25 2026 16:22:33 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A scorching heatwave moves from southern Europe to central Europe, prompting France to lift its health alert to level 3 and hospitals to brace for extra pressure.

Rising temperatures have turned Spain, France, and the UK into tinder, but new data shows the heatwave is moving east into Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy. France’s prime minister has raised the national health alert to its highest level, urging hospitals to safeguard vulnerable populations amid growing deaths among the young and elderly. The United Nations climate chief linked the extreme conditions to the crisis, calling for rapid renewable expansion. Meanwhile, several European nations have cancelled sporting events and urged residents to avoid outdoor exertion. Satellite imagery reveals soaring land surface temperatures across central and southern France.

Getty Images – People pass by a watering system in front of the Reichstag on a hot summer day on June 24, 2026

Europe’s heatwave shifts east as France raises health alert to highest level

Heatwave conditions that left Spain, France and the UK sizzling have moved westward into Germany and the Czech Republic, where forecasters warn of extreme temperatures. Temperatures in Germany could reach 40 °C in some western and south‑western areas by Thursday, spreading across the country on Friday.

France’s Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, announced an upgrade of the national health alert to level three – the highest – to boost hospital staffing and protect vulnerable citizens. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist reported that deaths among both the young and the elderly were linked to the heat wave.

The UN climate chief, Simon Stiell, said Europe’s savage heat wave “has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it”. He urged a faster shift to renewable energy, forest protection, and climate resilience.

France recorded its hottest day in two days – a 27.2 °C high in Nantes – and the next day set a new record of 40.6 °C in Rennes. The city’s intensive care units are “saturated”, and hospitals are alerting for the influx of patients with heat‑related illnesses.

Three nuclear power stations in France went offline because of extreme temperatures. In Germany, a western town, Bad Bergzabern, saw overnight temperatures that did not sink below 26.2 °C, matching a national record set in 2019.

Luxembourg recorded its highest June temperature of 38.3 °C in Wormeldingen, prompting a red alert for “extreme thermal stress”. The Czech Republic issued an extreme weather warning for most of its territory, expecting increases to 40 °C by the weekend.

Italy’s Florence Uffizi museum halted ticket sales until 28 June because air‑conditioning could not cope with 32 °C on the inside. The peak of Italy’s heatwave is expected for Monday, with temperatures of 40 °C in northern regions and night temperatures not dropping below 29 °C.

The U.K. Met Office extended its red extreme temperature warning until Friday, while Germany cancelled the Hamburg half‑marathon and Deutsche Bahn offered free ticket cancellations. Czech Railways advised passengers to postpone if possible.

Residents in Paris were urged by Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire to postpone outdoor exercise, as the city’s mortality rate was on the rise and many young joggers were seen on the streets last night.

In the northern city of Rennes, emergency services were alerted to the deaths of five or six people, the head of the Accident and Emergency department stating that the extreme temperatures had killed people aged 60 and up.