A relentless heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed temperatures to unprecedented levels, with Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic all registering new national heat records as forecasters warned that even hotter conditions could still be ahead.
Germany recorded its highest temperature ever on Saturday after provisional figures from the national weather service (DWD) showed the mercury climbing to 41.5 degrees Celsius.
The record was measured at the Drewitz weather station in eastern Germany, surpassing the previous national high of 41.3C, which had been set only a day earlier in Saarbruecken in the southwest, according to a DWD spokesperson.
Denmark also entered record territory as the country’s highest temperature since official measurements began in 1874 was recorded on Saturday.
At about 2:00 pm (1200 GMT), the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) announced on X: “with 36.6C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since measurements began in 1874,”
The weather agency cautioned that temperatures were still climbing, adding: “the day isn’t over yet…”
Just an hour later, the record had already been eclipsed.
DMI posted: “The record lasted exactly one hour,” before announcing: “Now 37.0C has been measured at Odum north of Aarhus. And counting…”
The new reading surpassed Denmark’s previous all-time record of 36.4C, which was set in August 1975.
Authorities had earlier warned that the ongoing heatwave could rewrite the country’s weather history, while television footage showed residents flocking to beaches, harbours and waterfronts in search of relief from the scorching temperatures.
The extreme heat coincided with the opening of the Roskilde music festival, where one attendee described the experience of arriving at the campsite.
He said dragging luggage across the festival grounds was: “unbearable”.
Public broadcaster DR reported that organisers had installed water stations across the venue to help cool the estimated 50,000 festival-goers.
Meteorologist Peter Tanev of TV2 said scientists had anticipated that Denmark would eventually surpass its long-standing temperature record.
“We’ve been aware that the risk would be there — among other things because of global warming,” Tanev said in a comment.
He warned that even Saturday’s milestone may not stand for long.
“The question right now is, how long will this record stand. It’s probably only a matter of time before we reach 40 degrees in Denmark,” Tanev wrote.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Sweden also remained under heat alerts, with the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute warning that temperatures in parts of southern Sweden could climb to between 36C and 37C.
The Czech Republic likewise broke its all-time temperature record on Saturday after a weather station in Doksany, north of Prague, registered 40.6C.
According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), the new figure exceeded the previous national record of 40.4C, established in Dobrichovice in 2012.
As temperatures continued to rise, the agency cautioned that the day’s final reading could be even higher.
It said: “Temperatures are still rising mildly so this may not be the final value,” adding that a complete summary of the day’s temperatures would be released later.
The country has endured nearly two weeks of exceptionally hot weather, with forecasters predicting the heatwave will intensify further on Sunday and temperatures could approach or even exceed 41C.
Saturday also marked the first occasion that temperatures above 40C had been recorded in the Czech Republic during June.
The intense heat transformed daily life across the country. Streets in parts of southern Prague were largely deserted as residents sought refuge indoors, at swimming pools, in parks, or travelled to cooler rural areas.
Authorities also implemented emergency measures to reduce the impact of the heat. Prague’s public transport operator lowered tram speeds to 40 kilometres per hour, and to 10 kilometres per hour beneath bridges, to reduce the risk of overhead power lines deforming under extreme temperatures.
Elsewhere, water trucks sprayed roads in several towns and cities to cool urban surfaces and reduce ground-level ozone, while organisers of outdoor festivals and public events installed misting systems to help visitors cope with the soaring temperatures.
(Ripples)