Temperatures hit record highs from Switzerland to the Czech Republic, Germany and Denmark on Saturday, as a heat wave that baked western European countries this week moves to central and eastern parts of the continent.
A severe heatwave affecting several European countries has caused the deaths of 74 people by drowning in France since June 18, coinciding with Germany recording a new temperature record for the second consecutive day, reaching 41.5˚C.
Laurent Nunez, French Interior Minister, said in an interview with Le Parisien published on Saturday, that most drowning deaths occurred in unauthorised and unmonitored bodies of water, particularly rivers, lakes and ponds, as well as in private swimming pools.
The French minister explained that these incidents were linked to thermal shock and, at times, excessive physical activity, noting that a large number of deaths caused by cardiac arrest had also been recorded.
Meanwhile, the German Weather Service, based on preliminary data, recorded a new temperature record after temperatures peaked at 41.5 degrees Celsius in the town of Möckern-Drewitz in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
The new record surpassed the 41.3˚C recorded on Friday in Burbach, in Saarbrücken, the capital of Saarland. That figure was broken again today at the same weather station, which recorded 41.4 degrees Celsius, before Möckern-Drewitz later registered the highest temperature ever recorded in Germany.
Unusually high temperatures were recorded even in the Nordic countries not known for sweltering summers. The Danish Meteorological Institute reported a new record of 37˚C in Ødum north of Aarhus — the warmest day since records began in 1874.
In Switzerland, a record of 38.8˚C was set in the city of Basel. And Germany marked a new high of 41.5˚C, in Möckern-Drewitz in Saxony-Anhalt, according to preliminary data by the German Weather Service. The previous record was set a day earlier.
The country's famous Autobahn was overwhelmed, too. In two places outside Berlin, the concrete of the A2 burst due to the high temperatures and the highway had to be closed. Other highway damage was also reported across the country, according to German daily Bild.
Train operator Deutsche Bahn and other rail companies advised against all nonessential travel train travel this weekend.
"Germany’s transportation infrastructure is being severely affected by the record-breaking heat this weekend,” Deutsche Bahn said in a statement.
The Czech Republic also saw its hottest day on record, with 40.6 C (105 F) in the northern town of Doksany. Forecasters said it may still rise.
In the western German city of Dormagen, dozens of residents of a nursing home were evacuated for medical care due to dangerous heat conditions in the building.
The local fire department reported that temperatures inside the home had reached 35˚C. Air conditioning is not widespread in Germany and many countries in Europe because the continent is largely unused to such oppressive heat.
A resident at the home died overnight, but it was not yet clear whether the heat was the cause, a city spokesperson told German news agency dpa.
In France, temperatures were easing as the peak of the heat wave was starting to pass in some parts of the country. But hospitals remained under intense pressure in the face of heat-related emergencies, including heart attacks, heatstroke and dehydration.
In the UK, sweltering conditions are expected to gradually ease this weekend though an amber warning - one step down from red - remained in place until Saturday night.
Britons struggled to cope this week as the record June temperature was smashed three days in a row. Friday was confirmed as the country's hottest June day on record, with a provisional temperature of 37.3˚C recorded in eastern England.
It was more than 1˚C hotter than the long-standing record for June heat in the UK, set in the summer of 1976.
On Saturday, police said a 22-year-old man's body was recovered from a river after he reportedly got into difficulty in the water during the heat wave.
Authorities have warned people to take extra care when swimming in unsupervised areas, such as rivers or lakes, following the deaths of around 40 people in France over the past week.
In Italy's capital, which remains under a red heat alert, tourists tried to cool off seeking shade near buildings and dunking their heads under public fountains. Street vendors were doing a brisk business selling bottled water, hats and sun umbrellas.
Some turned to Italian classics for relief.
"Gelato, pasta, because it’s tradition, but also fresh fruit, and ice cold drinks, that’s the best for this temperature,” said Isabella Dold, a tourist from Kempten, Germany.
On Saturday, Italy’s health ministry said 18 cities - including the most popular tourism hubs like Venice, Florence, Bologna and Milan - were on red alert due to danger posed by the high temperatures.
Associated Press