Temperature data shatter as heatwave grips Europe and UK data hottest day of yr – because it occurred

Closing abstract

Jakub Krupa

… and on that observe, it’s a wrap!

• 13 Italian areas have banned out of doors working throughout the hottest components of the day; June temperature data have been smashed in Spain and Portugal; and faculties in components of France have been closed, as an excessive heatwave continues to grip massive swathes of Europe.

• England additionally reported the most well liked day of the yr (15:06), and the warmest June since data started in 1884 (16:01).

• Native authorities have provide you with a lot of artistic methods to help individuals in coping with excessive temperatures, with free guided excursions, museum entry and “climate oases” (17:00).

• However the United Nations’ climate and local weather company mentioned the world must be taught to reside with heatwaves, which can change into extra intense and happen extra usually sooner or later (16:13).

Elsewhere:

• Poland will introduce temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania from Monday amid rising tensions over irregular migration, the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has mentioned (12:23, 13:08).

And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for at this time. Keep cool, and see you once more tomorrow.

In case you have any suggestions, feedback or strategies, e-mail me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.

I’m additionally on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.

Agence France-Presse checked out artistic methods during which some European international locations are attempting to beat the heatwave, serving to most susceptible teams take care of the temperatures.

And so, it famous that Italy’s Venice is providing free guided excursions of air-conditioned museums and public buildings to individuals over 75, whereas in Rome, metropolis swimming swimming pools are freed from cost for these over 70.

In the Netherlands, faculties in Rotterdam and throughout West Brabant province adopted “tropical schedules” on Tuesday, with shorter college hours – 8:00 am to midday – and extra water breaks.

In the meantime Austria is providing 23 “climate oases” with air con, snacks and drinks for these in want, sponsored by Catholic charity Caritas, which can also be offering devoted medical buses with volunteer medical doctors.

In France, some cities, corresponding to Orleans, are additionally providing free entry to museums.

Marseille made its public swimming pools freed from cost at some point of the heatwave, AFP famous.

Your heathwave experiences in France

Alfie Packham

Folks in France have been getting in contact with their experiences of the heatwave.

Nora, who lives in a flat in Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda in southern France, was with out air con as temperatures climbed to 42C over the weekend.

“It’s common not to have air conditioning in the region,” she says.

“The warmth was so unhealthy this previous weekend we have been apprehensive about our canine, Pearl.

As a precaution, we drove about an hour away to hire a pet-friendly lodge room for the weekend – simply to sleep within the air con and get out of the warmth. The canine was thrilled.”

Nora has since returned to her condominium for the week, though the temperature continues to be 41C.

“We by no means have the lights on; we have now the shutters partially closed. We now have followers in entrance of it. We maintain chilly towels in our freezer and have these draped over us.

It’s actually simply the poor canine – she doesn’t actually need to eat. It’s simply so sizzling for her, so we maintain her in cooling baths.”

With the warmth displaying no indicators of abating, she plans to seek out one other lodge to remain in subsequent weekend.

“We’ve made plans to do the identical factor in a special metropolis. We’re sort of combining hiding from the warmth with some native journey and exploration.

However it’s not sustainable to go to a lodge on a regular basis. We’re lucky that we will – I do know that’s actually not accessible to everyone.”

In Verdets in south-western France, Charlotte Blythe, 76, says the final two weeks have been “difficult”.

“We do any physical jobs such as gardening, housework, and dog walking before 10am at the latest,” she says.

“The home is put at midnight as we shut the shutters or pull down the blinds. You’re at all times thirsty, you haven’t any urge for food, as the warmth builds, your vitality diminishes. The followers are on for hours.

The worst time is at evening. We sleep individually throughout this warmth. Our canine Ruby is 12 and she or he’s a curly coated retriever, so she has a thick coat, and we simply guarantee that she’s acquired loads of water. We let her lie within the bathe.”

Blythe has lived within the space for 20 years.

“I’d say the primary 10 years have been pretty type of fixed in the summertime – you knew what was coming.

During the last 10 years, it’s accelerated. We purchased a cell air con unit two years in the past. This [heatwave] is demanding as a result of it’s come fairly early within the yr, and we all know that we’ve nonetheless acquired the peak of the summer season to come back.”

How are you being affected by the heatwave?

We want to hear from individuals within the south of Europe who’re experiencing excessive temperatures. How are you coping and what steps are you taking to take care of excessive temperatures? What’s your private home and dealing atmosphere like?

The world must be taught to reside with heatwaves, the United Nations’ climate and local weather company mentioned Tuesday, as a lot of Europe roasted in excessive summer season temperatures, AFP reported.

The World Meteorological Group mentioned that in future, individuals might count on heatwaves to happen extra usually and be extra intense due to human-induced local weather change.

WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis mentioned July was historically the most well liked month of the yr within the northern hemisphere, however it was distinctive, although not unprecedented, to have episodes of utmost warmth this early in the summertime.

She mentioned excessive warmth was “widely called the silent killer”, with the loss of life toll usually under-reflected in official statistics.

“It’s important to stress that every single death from heat is unnecessary: we have the knowledge, we have the tools; we can save lives,” she mentioned.

Provisional Met Workplace figures, launched on Tuesday, present England had its warmest June on report final month, whereas the UK skilled its second warmest because the sequence started in 1884 – solely surpassed by June 2023, PA information company reported.

The recent climate marks the second heatwave for components of the UK inside the final month, with scientists warning the searing temperatures earlier in June have been made 100 occasions extra seemingly due to human-caused local weather change, it added.

Earlier at this time, Spain (13:22) additionally reported its warmest June ever.

EU hopeful about securing tariff take care of US

Lisa O’Carroll

in Brussels

European commerce commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will journey to Washington tomorrow hoping to strike a tariff settlement in precept with Donald Trump’s group.

He’ll meet commerce consultant Jamieson Greer with hopes rising they are going to have sufficient within the coming days to agree the fundamentals forward of 4 July Independence Day negotiations.

On the identical time the EU recognises the volatility on the US aspect and are working to avert any additional threats of tariffs that Trump could prefer to announce to extract extra concessions from the EU. He not too long ago warned tariffs on pharma have been coming “very soon”.

If an settlement in precept is struck, talks would then proceed, presumably past 9 July, to work out the element.

This is able to observe the sample within the UK which took greater than a month to get to a closing textual content.

Yesterday Šefčovič revealed it was a superb time to get right down to “drafting” an settlement and “drafts of proposals for the eventual agreement in principle”, a big change of language which suggests they near settling variations on main points.

EU sources verify the European Fee is now placing all its efforts right into a “quick deal” moderately than maintain out for a deep and vast one overlaying as much as 1,000 product traces.

This follows criticism by German chancellor Friedrich Merz final week that the EU’s method to the talks was too difficult.

Germany’s precedence is to get the 27.5% tariffs decreased or eradicated on automobile exports and the identical for metal exports that are dealing with 25% tariffs.

The Baltic states, specifically, space additionally eager to construct on the humouring of Donald Trump finally week’s Nato summit and need to guarantee all the pieces is completed to maintain him on board with weapons provide in Ukraine.

Sources say the EU is kind of resigned to a ten% blanket tariff on exports to the US remaining and should provide extra imports on semiconductors to sweeten the deal.

Nevertheless there stay worries that Trump might but announce tariff on pharma exports as a part of his negotiation techniques to extract extra from the EU.

An EU technical delegation flew to Washington on Monday, forward of Šefčovič ’s go to with anticipated conferences with commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, who takes care of sectoral offers, and with Greer.

With the clock ticking down in direction of Trump’s self-imposed deadline for a deal of 9 July, there’s nonetheless loads of room for a change of temper within the Oval Workplace.

In a single day Trump expressed frustration over Japan commerce negotiations on Monday with treasury secretary Scott Bessent warning that international locations might be notified of sharply larger tariffs as a 9 July deadline approaches regardless of good-faith negotiations.

Talking on Monday in Brussels, Šefčovič instructed reporters:

“9 July is around the corner. So for me, it’s always a good sign when we kind of move from, I would say, exchange of views, into the drafting process.”

“As you know, we received first drafts of proposals for the eventual agreement in principle we are working on that.”

He added the EU was pushing for a deal that “was fair for both sides”.

Germany braces for ‘Bettina’ and 40 Celsius temperatures on Wednesday

Deborah Cole

in Berlin

The recent climate entrance identified in Germany as Bettina is anticipated to have the almost whole nation in its grip by Wednesday, with temperatures taking pictures towards the 40-degree Celsius mark and solely the coasts and Alpine peaks spared the scorching temperatures.

Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany’s most populous state, issued early warnings to the inhabitants to take precautions for excessive warmth.

The all-time excessive temperature report for Germany of 41.2 levels, measured in NRW on 25 July 2019, was seen as not out of attain this week, till summer season storms forecast for the top of the week present reduction.

Trade teams warned that faculties, aged care houses and hospitals have been ill-prepared for the heatwave – an pressing concern they mentioned should be addressed because the frequency of life-threatening climate will increase.

“Strong heat is a challenge for clinics and staff. Due to a lack of investment, few hospitals have air-conditioned rooms, offices and break rooms,” the pinnacle of the German Hospital Affiliation, Gerald Gaß, instructed the each day Rheinische Submit.

Social welfare advocates additionally known as for higher coaching for caregivers to assist deal with the warmth and recognise indicators of misery.

Anja Bensinger-Stolze of the GEW academics’ union mentioned faculties wanted instant stopgap measures to restrict solar publicity in school rooms and courtyards and supply free consuming water and first assist measures in case of solar stroke, in an interview with the RND media group.

Rising temperatures are taking an rising toll on Europe’s high economic system as effectively.

The variety of sick days linked to excessive warmth has risen steadily since 2015, and surged 12% from 2018 to 2023, when 92,700 days have been registered. Males reported considerably extra sick days than ladies, significantly amongst these working in strenuous jobs outdoor corresponding to development.

The opposition Greens joined the far-left Linke in backing the creation of a authorized proper for workers to day off work as a result of excessive warmth, just like the principles enforced for varsity pupils.

Employers who fail to ensure a workspace temperature under 26 levels ought to forfeit the suitable to demand workers labour, in response to a movement from the Greens parliamentary group seen by RND.

German climate station data all-time rainfall low for first half of 2025

Ajit Niranjan

A key climate station in Germany has seemingly recorded an all-time rainfall low for the primary half of 2025, meteorologists say.

The climate station on Telegrafenberg in Potsdam, simply outdoors Berlin, exhibits the first six months of the yr have been the driest since measurements started in 1893, in response to the Potsdam Institute for Local weather Influence Analysis (PIK).

The station is a central reference level for evaluating long-term climate tendencies, the institute mentioned, as it’s the solely meteorological station on the earth with a complete measurement programme that has been working repeatedly for over a century.

Its scientists mentioned simply 146.8 millimetres of rainfall fell from January to the top of June this yr, even lower than the earlier report of 158.5 millimetres over the identical interval in 1942. The long-term common is round 300 millimetres.

Peter Hoffmann, a meteorologist on the institute, mentioned forests have been significantly affected by the lengthy durations of drought.

“The damage caused in recent years is clearly visible in many regions of Germany and has not yet been repaired, and the renewed dry spell is exacerbating the problems,” he mentioned.

“In addition, the higher temperatures have led to higher water requirements for vegetation and the landscape. This is because the average temperature in Germany is now around 2C higher than it was 100 years ago.”

The heatwave is about to peak within the South East with temperatures projected to achieve as much as 35C making it the most well liked day of the yr up to now, PA information company reported.

A lot of England has been issued with warnings of utmost warmth this week as Monday introduced the most well liked begin to Wimbledon on report.

The Met Workplace mentioned temperatures might attain 34-35C in London on Tuesday, earlier than cooler circumstances sweep in from the North later within the day.

It’s the second heatwave for components of the UK inside the final month.

Individually, BBC reported 33.6 Celsius in Frittenden, Kent, making it the hottest day of the yr.

Portugal recorded its highest-ever June temperature of 46.6C on Sunday, the nationwide climate service mentioned, reported by AFP.

The scorching excessive was registered at Mora about 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Lisbon.

The earlier June excessive of 44.9C was recorded in 2017 within the southwestern city of Alcacer do Sal.

The climate service added that 37% of its monitoring stations recorded temperatures larger than 40C on Sunday.

Spanish authorities are investigating whether or not a avenue sweeper’s loss of life over the weekend in Barcelona was attributable to an intense heatwave gripping the nation and area, town council mentioned, reported by Reuters.

The lady, who had been cleansing the outdated city in Barcelona on Saturday afternoon, died later that day at residence, her sister instructed the Antena 3 TV station.

Reuters reported that her sister mentioned the 51-year-old lady, recognized simply as Montserrat, had instructed a colleague she thought she “was dying”.

Temperatures reached 30.4C (86.7F) in Barcelona on Saturday, climate company AEMET mentioned.

Reuters famous that excessive warmth can kill by inflicting heatstroke, or aggravating cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, with older individuals being among the many most susceptible.

The town council mentioned on Monday it will examine the lady’s loss of life.

Greece not seeing mercury hit report highs this heatwave

Helena Smith

in Athens

However whereas western and central Europe sizzle, Greece isn’t seeing the mercury hit report highs – even when it’s nonetheless very sizzling.

After excessive temperatures nudging 40 Celsius over the weekend, north westerly winds have introduced much-needed respite to Athens.

Although, at 38C, temperatures have risen barely once more at this time and tavernas and eateries within the historic Plaka district had followers on full blast, vacationers have been relieved that at the least they weren’t experiencing the type of warmth recorded in Portugal.

“It’s great that it’s windy,” mentioned Noelia sitting along with her accomplice Pablo underneath the shade of mulberry bushes and an enormous palm.

“We’re from Asturias in northern Spain and we’re not used to such heat. We’ve heard that by the time we go back on Wednesday its going to be raining there and we’re happy!”

Greek authorities have been pressured to open air-conditioned services for aged and susceptible because the mercury climbed over the weekend. Folks have been additionally banned from working outdoor.

Civil safety officers say their biggest worry is wildfires with hearth combating companies positioned on alert.

nonetheless ready for his delayed practice in Seville

The Spanish state meteorological company, Aemet, mentioned in a social media replace that “June 2025 smashed records” in terms of excessive temperature, with a mean temperature of 23.6 Celsius, 0.8 Celsius above the earlier hottest June in 2017.

The month-to-month common was additionally 3.5 Celsius larger than the common over the interval from 1991 to 2020, it mentioned.

The company’s feedback come simply days after Spain’s highest ever June temperature of 46 Celsius was recorded within the Huelva province of Andalucía.

Jakub Krupa

Let’s now test for the newest on excessive climate warnings throughout the continent and the way international locations are coping with the warmth.

Poland’s Tusk criticises Germany’s migration coverage shift, reintroduces border controls

Jakub Krupa

Right here’s extra from Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk on the choice to introduce momentary border controls with Germany and Lithuania, efficient from 7 July.

The choice was made after a authorities assembly this morning with the Polish Border Guard, which requested the measure in response to vital protests at Poland’s borders over the weekend.

In his remarks firstly of the weekly cupboard assembly, Tusk blamed Germany for the transfer.

He mentioned “the way operations are conducted at the Polish-German border has clearly changed over the past month,” as Germany “has effectively begun refusing entry to migrants who are heading to Germany to apply for asylum or other forms of protection.”

He argued that the current coverage shift – mixed with unilateral border controls with all neighbouring countried launched by Germany – has positioned undue stress on Poland to simply accept people denied entry on the German border.

“This new approach is problematic: with no border checks on the Polish side, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether those being returned or redirected to Poland are in fact subject to such procedures,” he mentioned.

Tusk added that he had spoken “several times” with Germany’s Merz, warning him that Poland’s “patient stance … was wearing thin.”

“We now have been defenders of the Schengen Space and stay advocates of a Europe with open borders and unrestricted motion. Nevertheless, such a system requires equal and symmetrical dedication from all neighboring international locations.

Subsequently, the momentary reinstatement of border controls on the Polish-German border is important to cut back, to the minimal, the uncontrolled stream of migrants crossing … the border.”

Tusk added that “the task of the Border Guard is to … block any unjustified or unauthorized returns of migrants by the German side if they happened,” and “in order to gain control over this process, border checks must be reinstated.” “There is no other way,” he mentioned.

Tusk additionally pointedly warned Merz that if German authorities extends one-sided border controls in September, “contrary to the spirit of the Schengen Code and EU law,” Poland would retaliate with an analogous transfer.

The time when Poland wouldn’t reply appropriately to such actions has definitively come to an finish.

The Polish PM added that the transfer to introduce momentary border controls with Lithuania was instantly linked to the German coverage change.

He argued that with the Polish-Belarusian closely militarised border totally closed to irregular migration, different neighbouring international locations, Latvia and Lithuania, are actually getting used to discover various routes for irregular migration, coming into the Schengen space via the Baltics.

Because of this, he mentioned, “the stream of illegal migration, orchestrated by Russia and Belarus, continues to flow through Belarus, Latvia, and Lithuania – and Poland, after all, has an open border with Lithuania.”

Tusk additionally mentioned he would work extra carefully with the Baltics to push the EU to behave extra decisively “to obstruct or prevent the operations orchestrated by Putin and Lukashenko, involving the organization of illegal migration and large-scale trafficking” into the EU in a bid to destabilise the bloc.

Merz was earlier requested about Poland’s rising criticism throughout a joint press convention together with his Luxembourgish counterpart.

Talking simply minutes earlier than Tusk introduced Poland’s choice, Merz mentioned he was conscious of Polish issues and repeatedly spoke with the Polish prime minister in current days, with inside ministers additionally holding “a long telephone conversation” final evening.

However he insisted that there have been “no returns from Germany to Poland of asylum seekers who had already arrived in Germany.”

As an alternative he appeared to counsel that Germany merely workout routines its proper to reject individuals on the border.

Merz additionally mentioned the 2 international locations “have a common problem that we want to solve together.”

The German chancellor additionally instructed the press convention that:

“We naturally want to preserve the Schengen area, but freedom of movement in the Schengen area will only work in the long term if it is not abused by those who promote irregular migration, in particular by smuggling migrants.”

Poland introduces momentary border controls with Germany, Lithuania from Monday

Jakub Krupa

We’re simply getting pretty large information from Warsaw.

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has simply introduced that Poland will introduce momentary border controls with Germany and Lithuania from Monday amid rising tensions over irregular migration.

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