An intense heatwave has left more than 191 million people in Europe facing temperatures of at least 35 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
Extreme heat warnings have been officially issued in Germany, Czechia, Poland, and Hungary.
The extreme weather system is spreading eastward, driving temperatures toward unprecedented levels in several nations. Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia are bracing for record-breaking conditions exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
Record-Breaking Heat Expected
Poland could see its all-time temperature record of 40.2 degrees Celsius from 1921 broken on Sunday.
In response, the Polish government's security agency sent out text messages advising citizens to remain indoors and avoid strenuous activities.
Municipalities across multiple Polish cities have installed water curtains to help residents cool down.
Meanwhile, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute indicated that temperatures are expected to surpass 41 degrees Celsius by a significant margin on Sunday.
Czechia already established a new all-time national record of 40.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
Meteorological stations reported that overnight temperatures remained above 20 degrees Celsius at more than 100 locations, with even hotter conditions projected.
The institute also forecasts that records for the warmest night ever will likely fall.
Germany experienced similar overnight shifts, where Bautzen in eastern Saxony reported a minimum temperature of 29.4 degrees Celsius.
The Berlin police deployed water cannon to cool off capital residents on Saturday, with plans to repeat the operation.
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has advised passengers against all non-essential travel over the weekend.
Slovakia reported temperatures above 39 degrees Celsius in its south-western region, threatening the national record of 40.3 degrees Celsius set in 2007.
Forecasts indicate the country could experience three consecutive days above 40 degrees Celsius for the first time since 1871.
Denmark recorded its highest temperature since tracking began in 1874, reaching 36.6 degrees Celsius north of Odense on Saturday.
Heatwave Death Toll Rises
France has started compiling the provisional death toll connected to this major heatwave.
The French national public health agency announced that 1,000 additional deaths were recorded between June 24 and June 27 compared to previous monthly averages.
Officials expect these provisional figures to increase significantly.
The data reveals that the sharpest spike in fatalities occurred among individuals dying at home, particularly within the Île-de-France region.
While the majority of victims were over 65, younger populations were also affected.
Philippe Juvin, an emergency doctor and MP for the Les Républicains party, stated that the final death toll in France would be very high.
He noted that individuals remaining in their homes in a coma or deceased might not be discovered until next week.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that emergency medical services and hospitals would remain under intense pressure.
Marine Tondelier, leader of the Greens, called for political action regarding the climate crisis in response to the high casualties.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that emergency ambulance services responded to more than 122,000 call-outs during the peak heatwave period.
Preliminary statistics in Spain also linked at least 327 deaths to the heat between Sunday and Thursday.
Concurrently, violent electrical storms and high winds struck northern France, causing several injuries, local flooding, and downed trees.
Lightning sparked multiple fires in the Aisne area, including an incident in Laon that injured five people.
The severe storms disrupted utility grids, leaving more than 60,000 homes without electricity on Sunday morning.
In neighboring Belgium, local media reported that one person died overnight near Brussels when a tree fell onto a vehicle.
