Europe’s deadly heatwave breaks German record and halts public events

Temperatures broke June records in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands on Friday as the death toll from Europe’s heatwave climbed in Spain and France and authorities cancelled concerts and other public events because of health risks.

Germany’s highest ever temperature of 41.3C was recorded provisionally in the south-western city of Saarbrücken, just over the border from France, which this week endured its hottest temperatures three days in a row.

Although France’s heatwave has peaked, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said the “emergence of deaths at home” was of particular concern.

World Meteorological Organization spokeswoman Clare Nullis warned of the “major impacts” to health, ecosystems, agriculture and labour, saying: “We need to get used to it, unfortunately.”

Europe’s deadly June heatwave has moved slowly north and east, and Belgian forecaster David Dehenauw said unofficially that 40C had been recorded in Kleine Brogel, close to the Dutch border.

A top temperature of 39.4C was recorded in the southern Dutch province of Limburg. Meanwhile, in the UK a provisional June record of 37.1C was recorded at Cavendish in Suffolk.

At least 150 million people across the European continent were facing temperatures higher than 35C on Friday, according to calculations by the AFP news agency.

Czech meteorologists believe a 2012 record temperature of 40.4C could be broken on Saturday, while Austrian forecasters believe the national record will fall on Sunday. Balkan countries are seeing extreme heat too, with up to 39C forecast in Serbia over the weekend.

In Switzerland, the Beznau nuclear power plant took both reactors of grid on Friday because the temperature in the River Aare reached 25C, which is considered too high to cool the reactors sufficiently.