European countries are experiencing one of the strongest June heatwaves in decades. In Spain, France, Italy, Great Britain, and Germany, temperatures are rising to 35-40 degrees. Authorities have issued health warnings, restricted mass events, and urged residents to avoid travel and conserve water. In France, alcohol sales have been restricted. A gradual decline in the exhausting heat is expected over the weekend. However, the consequences are already severe: hundreds of deaths in Spain have been linked to high temperatures, dozens of drowning deaths and child fatalities in overheated cars have been reported in France, and heat has caused disruptions to transport and infrastructure in Germany and Great Britain. For more details on extreme heat in Europe and scientists' opinions, see the material from 'Novaya Gazeta Europe'. A woman covers her head with a fan near Buckingham Palace during hot weather in London, UK, June 26, 2026. Photo: Andy Rain / EPA. What will the weather be like on the weekend? On Saturday and Sunday, temperatures above 35 degrees are still expected in Europe. However, in some Western European countries, the heat will begin to gradually subside. According to the French channel BFM, cooler air will start to move in from the west, leading to a gradual decrease in temperature first along the Atlantic coast and in the northwest, and then more broadly across the country. On Sunday, the heat may subside in the western regions of France. However, this improvement will be partial, BFM warns: it will remain very hot in the eastern part of the country, with temperatures reaching 37°C in Lyon, for example. In addition, heavy thunderstorms and rain are expected, and in some places, hail. Authorities urge citizens to be cautious. In addition to health risks due to heat, a high risk of forest fires remains. The French meteorological service issued an orange alert for the south of the country on June 9. Restrictive measures French police reported that from noon on June 26, Parisians are prohibited from selling and consuming alcohol in public places, as authorities try to protect citizens who may experience health problems from consuming alcoholic beverages in the heat. Licensed bars and restaurants are exempt from these restrictions, although medical experts still recommend avoiding alcohol consumption in extreme heat, as it exacerbates dehydration and impairs the body's ability to regulate temperature, increasing the risk of heatstroke. According to agricultural organizations, hundreds of thousands of birds have died on poultry farms in the French regions of Brittany and Pays de la Loire due to the heat. French nuclear power plants, which supply most of the country's electricity, have reduced generation by about 7% of total demand. Great Britain recorded its highest temperature for June, breaking all previous records: +36.1 in the south of the country. In Paris, the air temperature reached a June record of 40.9°C. The Italian Ministry of Health declared the highest level of danger due to heat in 16 cities, including Florence, Milan, Rome, Turin, and Verona. More than a thousand schools in the UK have closed due to a lack of air conditioning. Train passengers on June 26 were strongly advised to refrain from non-essential travel, as many rail operators have reduced or slowed down train services. In Germany, the abnormal heat has led to disruptions in transport and infrastructure: roads were damaged due to overheating, National Railways allowed passengers to cancel trips for free, and some regional operators temporarily suspended train services. Some mass events were either postponed to the evening or canceled due to health risks. On Saturday, the service issued extreme heat warnings for almost all of Germany, and authorities urged the public to conserve water. According to Spanish national temperature records dating back to 1950, June 23 was the hottest June day in recorded history. According to the Spanish national meteorological agency (AEMET), the heat began to subside on Thursday, June 25. Health risks in France, 55 people have died from drowning since the beginning of the abnormal heatwave as they tried to cool off. In a week, four children died from heat while sitting in a car. In Spain, the Carlos III Health Institute has linked 327 deaths that occurred since June 21 to the abnormal heatwave. Since the start of the annual heat monitoring season in Spain in mid-May, the Institute has registered 611 deaths related to high temperatures. Lachlan McIver, a WHO health advisor, warned that the negative health impact can affect anyone if the temperature is high enough and persists for a long time. However, the main risk groups are the elderly, young children, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and people with chronic diseases. People hide from the sun under umbrellas in Montpellier, southern France, June 18, 2026. Photo: Guillume Horcajuelo / EPA. What about the weather? According to an analysis by scientists from World Weather Attribution (WWA), extreme heat in Europe is intensifying against the backdrop of ongoing carbon pollution in the atmosphere. In France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and southern England, June temperatures are 5-12°C above seasonal averages. The researchers' conclusions are disappointing: heatwaves in Europe cause more deaths than all other natural disasters combined. As temperatures continue to rise, an aging population, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and unequal access to cooling and heat-resistant housing increase vulnerability, putting increasing pressure on healthcare systems. Scientists' work has shown that in 1976, when temperature records were set in Europe, heat like today's would have been practically impossible in June, and also very unlikely at other times of the year. In 2003, such daytime heat would have been a very rare event, about 10 times less likely than today. And nighttime temperatures, like now, would have been more than a hundred times less likely in 2003. Similar heat in June 1976 would have been about 3.5°C cooler during the day, and in 2003, about 2°C cooler. Nighttime temperatures would have been about 2.4°C cooler in June 1976 and about 1.3°C cooler in June 2003. "This is the strongest and most widespread heatwave ever to affect such a vast region of Europe," Dr. Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College London, who studies extreme weather events, told The Guardian. "We found that over the past 50 years, during which the planet has warmed by 1.1°C, the probability of such heatwaves has changed significantly. Such a June would have been impossible without climate change. But do we expect summers to be cool in the future? Absolutely yes," she added. Otto noted that the health consequences of this heat are likely to be very serious. Simon Stiell, head of climate action at the UN, confirmed in an interview with The Guardian that the climate is changing rapidly due to the planet's reliance on burning coal, oil, and gas. But he is confident that there is an obvious solution to this problem: "a faster transition to clean energy, which is now much cheaper than fossil fuels, as well as protecting forests and increasing climate resilience." At a fountain in Cordoba, Spain, June 22, 2026. Photo: Rafa Alcaide / EPA. Earlier this month, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the onset of El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean after months of monitoring. Forecasters warn that the current El Niño could be the strongest in decades. However, it appears to be unrelated to the heat in Europe: the WWA team excluded natural weather variability as a cause. Joanna Vergni, founder of the global meteorological forecasting platform WYF24, also noted in a comment to Euronews Earth that explaining the current heatwave in Europe by the influence of El Niño is incorrect. "There is no strong El Niño phase in the Pacific Ocean right now, and even when there is, the direct impact on summer heat in Europe is weak and poorly tracked. We are dealing with a classic jet stream block against the backdrop of record warm weather," she said. During El Niño, the risk of droughts and wildfires increases, primarily in Australia, northern South America, and Asian countries, including Indonesia. For Europe and the UK, the link with El Niño is less direct. This phenomenon can increase the likelihood of more unstable weather towards the end of the year, for example, autumn and early winter will be milder, rainier, and windier. Climatologists expect global temperatures to remain very high at the end of this year and in 2027. However, the current abnormal heat, which has already affected a significant part of Western Europe, is not directly related to El Niño, they claim.