Heat wave kills over 200 in Spain and strains infrastructure across Europe

Temperatures across much of western Europe have surged to 10 °C (18 °F) above normal, with highs reaching the low 40s °C in several countries. In Spain, where temperatures exceeded 38 °C for several days, a health-monitoring institute estimated 212 excess deaths during the heat spell, most among people over 65. The agency cautioned that the figures are statistical estimates of excess mortality attributable to heat.

France reported at least 40 drownings, many involving teenagers swimming unsupervised, and experienced record-breaking daytime and nighttime averages of 30 °C. Power demand strained the grid, causing outages for about 120,000 homes and prompting the shutdown of a nuclear plant due to high river water temperatures.

Other nations, including Austria, Belgium, Britain, Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia and Sweden, remained under high-level heat warnings. Museums and cultural venues adjusted opening hours or offered free entry to provide cooler spaces, while some, such as Paris’s Louvre and the British Museum, closed early.

Officials linked the extreme weather to climate change, noting that Europe is warming faster than any other continent and that heat-related deaths have risen sharply since 2010. The United Nations climate chief warned that the heat wave illustrates the growing impacts of fossil-fuel-driven warming.

Across the continent, schools and hospitals faced challenges due to limited air-conditioning, leading to class suspensions, altered schedules and, in some cases, early closures. Power utilities reported a 40 % increase in consumption compared with the previous week.

Forecasters expect temperatures to gradually decline from Friday onward, but the event underscores the increasing frequency and severity of heat waves in Europe.