Key developments
• Record temperatures: France, at the epicenter of the extreme heat, endured its hottest day since records began on Tuesday. The UK and Spain hit new records for any day in June. Europe is sweltering under a fierce heat dome, bringing dangerous conditions to swaths of the fastest-warming continent. More records are likely tomorrow.
• Deadly impact: At least 40 people have drowned seeking relief from the heat since June 18, the French Prime Minister announced yesterday. Heat-related deaths are difficult to track in realtime, though Météo-France compared this heat wave to one in 2003 that killed nearly 15,000 people.
• Rare warnings: The UK Met Office has issued exceptionally rare “Red Extreme Heat Warnings” for today and tomorrow, with temperatures forecast to soar to up to 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit (39 Celsius).
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Please scroll through the posts below to learn more about the record temperatures affecting the UK and Europe, including France and Spain. To learn about why Europe is the fastest-warming continent, read more here.
Air conditioning has become France's hottest political debate
As France battles record temperatures, the need for air conditioning has become the focus of a fierce debate. CNN’s Saskya Vandoorne reports from Paris.
UK's hottest June temperature record broken ... for third time in one day
The UK has broken its record for hottest June temperature for the third time in a day, with the mercury hitting 96.98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 Celsius) in a Hampshire seaside town on the south coast, the UK Met Office confirmed.
“We are not done yet!” the Met Office quipped in an early evening post on X, “New figures give a new provisional June record of 36.1 °C in Gosport.”
The country’s previous June record of 96.08 degrees Fahrenheit (35.6 Celsius) was set in 1976 during a historic heatwave that saw harvests fail, food prices rise and hundreds of heat-induced deaths. It remained unbroken for 50 years.
Red warnings for heat extend into Thursday as soaring temperatures are expected to persist.
CNN’s Taylor Ward contributed reporting.
Historic heatwave strains parts of Europe’s power grid
Some European countries are experiencing power outages as a historic heatwave strains the grid.
Workers are gradually restoring power in northwestern France after a failure of a transformer that the local power operator said was related to the heat wave. Around 38,500 homes remained without power as of 3:30pm local time, the operator said.
In parts of Italy, excessive air conditioning use appeared to cause electricity outages; the Uffizi museums in Florence closed because air conditioners caused a blackout there.
In Pescara, Italy — located on the Adriatic coast — power outages have caused problems with the local sewer system. As a precaution, a swimming ban was imposed along a 450-meter stretch of coastline. Over 500 customers in the Pescara metropolitan area and surrounding Teramo area were affected, with outage peaks reaching nearly 1,000 customers.
Only about 50-56% of Italian homes have air conditioning, according to power company Enel. Those that do must follow strict rules; public buildings, hotels and businesses are legally prohibited from running the air conditioning below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).
While most of Europe simmers, hail falls on Rome
A downfall of hail caught residents in Rome, Italy by surprise on Wednesday as large ice chunks rained down on the streets, bouncing off vehicles and ripping through trees.
Italy’s capital has largely escaped the heatwave gripping Europe. June days here typically hit 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) along with its neighbors across the continent’s southern region. The high today was 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius.)
While the sudden shift in weather extremes was unexpected for some, it shouldn’t have been.
Heat does not negate the occurrence of hail, as some might be inclined to think. In some instances, heat contributes to the bespoke medley of atmospheric conditions necessary to provoke a thunderstorm, which might, itself, bring hail.
The European Storm Forecast Experiment, known as ESTOFEX, issued a Level 1 low-to-moderate severe weather warning predicting hail, gusts and heavy rain for parts of the Balkans, parts of Italy and south eastern France to land on Wednesday.
CNN meteorologists Monica Garrett and Allison Chinchar contributed reporting.
Heat wave envelops UK during London Climate Action Week
The heat wave roasting London is hitting in the midst of one of the largest gatherings of climate activists, investors, philanthropists and government officials in the world, who are in town for London Climate Action Week.
The event has grown in size and stature as New York Climate Week, held each September, has shrunk in the face of the Trump administration’s stances on climate science and renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power.
London Climate Action Week boasts about 75,000 attendees, along with the participation of King Charles III, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other well-known figures. More than 1,000 events are scattered around the city, according to the event’s website.
Climate scientists have directly linked the intensity of this heat wave to the burning of fossil fuels.
France breaks record for its hottest day, beating benchmark set Tuesday
France saw its hottest day on record on Wednesday, with an average temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) during a 24-hour period, according to Météo-France. This beat the previous record, set just the day before, of 85.8 degrees Fahrenheit (29.9 Celsius).
Individual locations across the country, including the capital of Paris, have seen temperatures exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius). Météo-France reported that temperatures reached 110.8 degrees Fahrenheit (43.8 Celsius) in Palluau, about 280 miles (450 kilometers) west-southwest of Paris.
UK breaks record for hottest June day that was set just hours earlier
The UK has once again broken its record for hottest June temperature with the mercury hitting 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit (36 Celsius) in Surrey and Hampshire in the south of the country, the UK Met Office confirmed.
It comes just hours after the Met Office announced the UK had broken the previous June record of 96.08 degrees Fahrenheit (35.6 Celsius) last set in 1976.
“Temperatures have continued to climb this afternoon, and we now have a new provisional June record of 36.0 °C, recorded at both Wisley, Surrey and Gosport in Hampshire,” the meteorological service said in a post on X.
Extremely high temperatures are expected to persist, with red warnings for heat extending into Thursday.
Britain’s largest animal welfare charity urges "dog lockdown" during heat wave
The United Kingdom’s leading animal welfare charity, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), has urged dog owners to implement a temporary “dog lockdown” while the country endures a record-breaking heat wave.
Experts recommend keeping dogs inside and avoiding any energetic exercise during the heat wave, the RSPCA said, noting that “dogs never died from missing a walk.”
The charity has also issued guidance on how to take care of animals including cats, horses and rabbits during high temperatures. In all cases, pet owners are advised to keep their animals out of direct sunlight and give them plenty of water.
Temperature in Paris surpasses 104 degrees Fahrenheit, French media reports
The temperature in Paris, France has surpassed 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) today, according to French media.
The mercury hit 104.54 degrees Fahrenheit (40.3 Celsius) in the French capital, the fourth time in 150 years that the city reached that temperature, according to the country’s public broadcaster FranceInfo.
Paris is currently under a red heat wave alert, with authorities advising residents to stay hydrated, avoid physical exertion and to spend time in cool places.
Record-breaking temperatures hit Europe. Catch up here
Record-breaking temperatures have been seen in countries across Europe today, with the mercury surpassing 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) in both France and Spain.
Here’s a look at what’s been going on today:
- Thousands of schools across the UK and France have closed, with French Education Minister Édouard Geffray saying today that 6,000 schools in his country were either closed or had made adaptations.
- A nuclear power plant in France has temporarily closed and others have restricted operations as extreme heat raised the temperature of the water in nearby rivers. Many nuclear plants use river water for cooling and then release it back at higher temperatures.
- The UK is suffering from a nearly unheard of combination of record heat and high humidity. Southern parts of the UK, including London, are feeling comparable to humidity levels in Miami, New Orleans and Houston.
- Britain has also broken its record for the hottest June temperature, with the mercury hitting 96.4 degrees Fahrenheit (35.8 Celsius) in Wiggonholt, in the south of the country.
- Monday and Tuesday were Spain’s warmest June days since at least 1950, with temperatures 12.8 degrees Fahrenheit (7.1 Celsius) above average, according to the country’s weather service, AEMET.
- The World Health Organization has urged leaders to prioritize climate action amid this week’s heat wave.
CNN’s Laura Paddison, Issy Ronald and Andrew Freedman contributed to this reporting.
Spain endures its hottest June days on record
Monday and Tuesday were Spain’s warmest June days since at least 1950, with temperatures 12.8 degrees Fahrenheit (7.1 Celsius) above average, according to the country’s weather service, AEMET.
Average daily temperatures reached 82.5 degrees Fahrenheit (28.08 Celsius) Monday and 82.7 degrees Fahrenheit (28.17 Celsius) Tuesday, beating the previous record of 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit (28.01 Celsius) set last June.
Nighttime temperatures have also broken records — Monday and Tuesday nights were Spain’s warmest June nights on record. Nighttime heat is particularly pernicious as it gives the body little time to recover.
Swaths of local heat records were broken across the county, especially in the north where temperatures are typically cooler. Cantabria, on Spain’s north coast, endured temperatures of 110.6 degrees Fahrenheit (43.7 Celsius) on Tuesday — the highest temperature on record for the region for any month.
UK breaks record for hottest June day
The UK has broken its record for hottest June temperature with the mercury hitting 96.4 degrees Fahrenheit (35.8 Celsius) in Wiggonholt, in the south of the country, according to provisional figures from the UK Met Office. This broke the previous June record of 96.08 degrees Fahrenheit (35.6 Celsius) last set in 1976.
There is still a chance higher temperatures could be recorded in the UK today, the Met Office said. Temperatures are expected to stay extremely high tomorrow too, with red warnings for heat extending into Thursday.
In pictures: Europe swelters during record-breaking heat wave
As record-breaking temperatures hit areas across central Europe today, people are trying to seek respite from the heat in a variety of ways.
Take a look at how the day has unfolded so far in our round-up of pictures below:
Extreme heat like this is becoming more and more common
Extremely hot temperatures edging towards or surpassing all-time records are becoming a more common occurrence as the number of hot days experienced by the UK and France is increasing, according to their national weather services.
Reams of statistics point to this. Of the 52 heatwaves recorded in France since 1947, two-thirds have happened since the beginning of the 21st century, according to Météo-France. Meanwhile in the UK, the number of days hotter than 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) more than tripled in 2015-2024 compared to 1961-1990, according to a 2024 Met Office report.
This June heatwave comes a month after the UK experienced the hottest May on record. If the hottest June temperatures are observed this week, as is likely, it will be the first time since 1911 that two consecutive months have seen record temperatures, the Met Office said.
The climate crisis, driven by humans burning fossil fuels, has made heat waves like this more intense and more likely. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, meaning it will likely endure heat like this more frequently and for longer periods of time.
Tourists seek relief as heatwave hits Italy
Outside the Vatican Museums, tourists queued in the shade, hoping for a brief respite as western Europe grappled with a deadly heatwave.
The Italian capital of Rome, which surrounds Vatican City, was among 16 cities placed under Italy’s highest “red” heat alert by the health ministry, alongside Milan, Turin and Verona.
Visitors tried to keep cool with handheld fans and by making use of the water fountains scattered across the city.
One US tourist told the Reuters news agency that it felt even hotter than California.
“We are from the mountains, so it’s a little bit cooler there,” Maiella Riva said. “And we are by the lake, so at least there’s water nearby, which is a little refreshing. But it’s very hot.”
Campell Evenson, also a tourist, from North Dakota, said the heat had left her slightly sunburnt, though staying hydrated was helping.
“I’m pale, obviously, so I’m burning a little bit,” she said. “My scalp really burns because my hair is dark, so it gets super warm. But I think I’m okay now that I have water.”
Bus drivers in London working in tough conditions
Bus drivers in London are working in temperatures up to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) today, according to the UK Met Office.
One man told CNN that temperatures inside his bus cab had reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius), and that the air conditioning was not working.
Watch more on this in the video above.
Heat can make you angry and even aggressive
Extreme temperatures can lead to more violence, with research suggesting crimes like murder, aggravated assault and rape, terrorist attacks and mass shootings are much more likely.
Multiple studies have shown that there’s a direct correlation between high temperatures and hot tempers, and that anger can sometimes lead to bad behavior.
“We don’t like being hot,” said Dr. Curtis Craig, a human factors research associate in the HumanFIRST Laboratory at the University of Minnesota.
“High temperatures increase discomfort. It increases negative emotions, particularly if one has a negative association with something else already.”
Scientist have come up with two theories on why crime might rise during a heat wave. It could be that hot weather induces interpersonal violence by increasing discomfort, frustration, impulsivity, and aggression.
But heat also tends to change people’s routine activities – for example, many are more likely to spend more time outside or drink more alcohol – which could lead to more crime.
Extreme heat can also make mental health problems worse. Dr Laurence Wainwright, senior researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said the relationship between heat and mental health is “complex, nuanced and involves intricate feedback loops between a collection of bio-psycho-social factors.”
“Heat can worsen existing mental health symptoms, manifest new symptoms, and in some conditions like bipolar disorder, act as a trigger to switch into a certain phase of a condition – such as mania,” he said, adding that side effects of many commonly prescribed psychiatric medications can get worse in extreme heat.
Research shows a 10% increase in mental health-related A&E admissions during periods of sustained heat.
No, El Niño is not driving this heat wave, scientists say
It may be tempting to blame this record-shattering heat wave on the developing, strong El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean, but that would be wrong, scientists say.
The natural weather cycle is simply too new to already be affecting temperatures across Europe.
While El Niño events, which feature unusually hot waters in the tropical Pacific, are known to lead to heat extremes worldwide, those impacts tend to lag behind the actual emergence of the El Niño itself.
Instead, climate scientists point to a clear causal chain between the planet-heating pollution produced from humans burning fossil fuels and this heat wave, while downplaying a potential El Niño role.
El Niño tends to have its greatest impacts on the weather in the Northern Hemisphere during the fall and winter months, rather than the summer, but it could lead to even more severe heat extremes next summer given the time delay between the emergence of the hotter ocean waters and shifts in global weather patterns.
“There’s a sad inevitability to all of this, with scientists like me trotting out the same quotes year after year,” said Friederike Otto, a climate science professor at Imperial College London. “Yes it’s climate change, yes it’s us, no it’s not El Niño.”
Drownings are surging during Europe’s heat wave. Here’s why
As record temperatures grip Europe, young people are dying in rivers and lakes — and experts warn it is only going to get worse.
At least 42 people have drowned in France this week as thousands headed to water to escape temperatures soaring past 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius).
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed the victims were mostly young people, calling their deaths a “tragic scourge.”
The pattern is not new. France’s public health authority, Santé publique France, recorded 1,418 drowning incidents during the summer of 2025 — a 14% rise on the year before — with deaths among teenagers ages 13 to 17 more than doubling.
Britain’s May heatwave tells a similar story. At least 19 people died in open water last month, most of them children.
The deaths share a common thread: Young people who are just looking for somewhere to cool off in extreme heat. But even when it’s sweltering outside, water temperatures can remain cold, and cold water shock is one of the biggest causes of drowning. It’s an involuntary response that impairs breathing and can overwhelm even strong swimmers within seconds in water below 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 Celsius).
One study of 2,000 UK drowning deaths found the risk of drowning rises 7% for every 1.8-degree Fahrenheit (1 Celsius) increase in daily maximum temperatures.
Children from the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to drown, according to the UK’s National Child Mortality Database. That’s because for young people without money and few local spaces to cool down, a river or reservoir can feel like the only option.
