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Europe endured another day of extreme heat on Saturday, as temperature records fell across the continent for the second consecutive day. Germany set a new all-time high of 41.5C, surpassing a record set just a day earlier, while Denmark and the Czech Republic also recorded their highest temperatures ever. An estimated 150 million people in Europe are now experiencing temperatures above 35C, according to calculations reported by the BBC.

The World Meteorological Organization has warned that the heatwave would have "major impacts" to health and ecosystems, with a spokeswoman, Clare Nullis, saying: "We need to get used to it, unfortunately." The heatwave, which began in the Iberian peninsula, has been linked to the deaths of hundreds of people over the past week.

Coverage comparison

Two separate reports from the BBC, both published during the heatwave, cover the event from different angles. The first focuses on the record-breaking temperatures and the scale of the affected population, while the second emphasises the rising death toll and the health risks that have prompted authorities to cancel concerts and other public events.

The earlier report, published on Friday, notes that June records were broken in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It also mentions a provisional June record in the UK of 37.1C in Suffolk. The later report, published on Saturday, highlights new all-time records in Germany, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, as well as a Swiss record for the hottest June day for the third day in a row.

Both reports cite official sources, including national meteorological services and government officials, and attribute the heatwave to a "heat dome" — a slow-moving area of high pressure.

Key claims

The following claims were reported by the BBC:

  • Germany set a new all-time high temperature of 41.5C on Saturday, provisionally recorded in Möckern-Drewitz in Saxony-Anhalt, according to Germany's Meteorological Service. This surpassed a record of 41.3C set a day earlier in Saarbrücken.
  • Denmark and the Czech Republic also broke all-time records, with 37C recorded in Odum in Denmark and 40.8C at a weather station in Doksany in the Czech Republic.
  • An estimated 150 million people in Europe are experiencing temperatures over 35C.
  • The World Meteorological Organization warned of "major impacts" to health and ecosystems.
  • The heatwave has been linked to hundreds of deaths.
  • Climate change is "unequivocally" to blame, according to the reports.
  • Authorities in France cancelled concerts and public events due to health risks, with the local prefecture in Paris saying the hospital system was "saturated".
  • French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist expressed concern about the "emergence of deaths at home".
  • A forest fire broke out north-east of Barcelona.
Additional details from the reports include:
  • In Berlin, police deployed two water cannons to spray mist onto people.
  • Swiss forecasters recorded a June record of 39C in Basel.
  • In the UK, a provisional June record of 37.1C was recorded at Cavendish in Suffolk.
  • The Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland took both reactors off grid because the River Aare reached 25C, considered too high for cooling.
  • Czech meteorologists believe a 2012 record could be broken, and Austrian forecasters expect the national record to fall on Sunday.
  • Balkan countries are also seeing extreme heat, with up to 39C forecast in Serbia over the weekend.