Europe is bracing for a punishing stretch of heat that forecasters say could rewrite temperature records across the continent in the days ahead.
In France, highs of 40C are expected today, with Monday likely to be even hotter as emergency services and military forces have been put on wildfire alert.
Half of France will be placed under red alert tomorrow, the government said, with the highest heat warning to be issued for 49 of France’s 96 mainland departments, or administrative regions, while another 40 departments will be under orange alert, according to Meteo-France.
The forecaster said an extension of the red heatwave warning is possible for Monday in some departments currently under orange alert.
At its peak, the heatwave is expected to push temperatures to 42C.
Against that backdrop, the head of SNCF, the French state-owned railway operator, urged those most at risk to steer clear of travel.
“We recommend the most vulnerable people postpone their trip or at least avoid taking the train during this heatwave,” Jean Castex told reporters.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu also pre-emptively banned alcohol consumption at the annual Fete de la Musique festivals and other public events to be held in 35 regions today.
Authorities in Paris, however, ordered parks to remain open around the clock.
UK temperatures predicted to reach 38C
An extreme heat warning has been extended in the UK as record high temperatures of 38C are being forecast.
The UK Met Office said the heat could last until at least Thursday, sparking weather warnings, health alerts and concerns for vulnerable people.
Forecasters have said there is “growing confidence” this week could break the record for the hottest UK June temperature of 35.6C, which was set in 1976 in Southampton.
The Met Office said the days ahead are likely to bring humid conditions and potentially tropical nights—when the overnight temperature does not fall below 20C—making it feel “muggier” than last month’s heatwave.
On Sunday, an amber extreme heat warning issued by the weather service was expanded to last from Monday until Thursday.
The alert flags potential health impacts for people vulnerable to extreme heat and heat-related issues for the wider population, as well as a possible increase in water safety incidents.
The UK Met Offfice said temperatures will remain very high overnight
Monday and Tuesday’s warning covers most of southern England, central and eastern Wales, and much of the Midlands, while Wednesday and Thursday’s alert also includes parts of Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and Cheshire.
The weather service said substantial changes to working and daily routines will likely be required, and warned that disruptions to road, air and rail travel should be expected.
Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: “Everybody will feel this because it will be very hot and the overnight temperatures, in particular, will mean that people won’t be getting as much sleep, probably, as they would usually do, so it will affect everyone.
“There’s also potential for impacts to transport as well. We know that when things get very warm, there can sometimes be issues with railway lines, and even the possibility that some roads might not be doing too well.
Separate amber heat health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) which now cover most of England from Monday morning until Friday night.
A yellow heat alert is also in place for north-east England during the same period.
The heatwave is expected to affect Spain until next Thursday
Spain swelters in first official heatwave of 2026
Tourists and locals in Madrid struggled to cope with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius today as the first official heatwave of 2026 set in.
Officials said a public screening in Madrid of the national football team’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia was cancelled because of the extreme heat forecast for the capital.
AEMET, the state-run weather forecaster, said 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the Basque Country, in the northwest, is on red alert, the highest level. The heatwave will continue until Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach 44C in some areas.
The weather agency warned of temperatures exceeding 39 to 40C across large parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Mallorca.
In Germany, organisers suspended the final of the Berlin Open tennis tournament and cleared everyone out of the event location because of “severe weather conditions”.
The mercury in the German capital topped 30C across the weekend, with storms sweeping across much of the region today.
