Germany gripped by record temperatures as European heatwave moves east
Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without man-made climate change, which has made this week's night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago
Germany and Italy endured sweltering conditions on Saturday as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in Western Europe spread eastwards after temperatures broke records above 40 degrees.
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Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany have all experienced record heat in June, and the weather system could test more records as it rolls across Germany towards Poland.
Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without man-made climate change, which has made this week's night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago.
"The heatwave is going to peak at the weekend at well over 40 degrees in some parts of Germany," said Karsten Brandt, a meteorologist at weather forecasting site Donnerwetter.de.
On Friday, a new German record of 41.3 C was reached near the city of Saarbruecken close to the French border, a spokesperson for Germany's National Meteorological Service said, noting the reading was still preliminary.
The service issued extreme heat warnings for nearly all of Germany on Saturday as authorities urged people to save water. It said temperatures of 36 C were expected across the board in the country, with local highs of 42 C possible.
In France, dozens of people, both young and old, have died during the heatwave.
Temperatures above 40 C have disrupted rail travel and power generation, sparked alcohol bans, suspended schools and postponed outdoor events.
Italy's health ministry issued a red alert for the heatwave in 18 Italian cities including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna for Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 39 C in some areas.
Italian singer Loredana Berte said she had cancelled a concert scheduled for Sunday in the northern city of Bergamo due to the heat on the advice of her management and medical staff.
Friday was the warmest June night on record in Bolzano in the Italian Alps, with overnight temperatures not dipping below 25.4 C, the city's meteorologist Dieter Peterlin said on X.
The French prime minister's office said although the heatwave is moving on, pressure on the healthcare system would persist and hospitalisations would stay high for several days.
Reports of wildfires in France are up compared to the same period last year due to the heatwave, officials say.
Struggling with the prospect of damage to infrastructure, including buckling roads and swelling train tracks, some major public service providers have sought to reduce traffic.
German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn has given customers the option of cancelling long-distance travel bookings into early next week without charge.
The firm said its infrastructure is under particular strain because of sun exposure and additional risk to signals, tracks and overhead wires stemming from thunderstorms and wildfires.
Another operator, National Express, said it would suspend trains on its Rhine-Ruhr-Express line on Saturday afternoon in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, as a preventative measure.
Near Hamburg, the main traffic lane on a part of the A7 autobahn, one of Germany's busiest motorways, was closed after the heat led to the asphalt splitting, authorities said.