European Nations Declare Emergency as Heatwave Closes Schools and Cancels Public Events

Several European countries have begun taking emergency measures to cope with an increasingly severe extreme heatwave. Schools have been closed, train services reduced, and various public events cancelled as temperatures are expected to rise further in the coming days. In France, the government has placed 49 of the country’s 96 mainland departments under a red alert for heat. Local authorities closed 845 schools on Monday (22/6/2026), while around 1,800 other schools allowed students to go home early to reduce health risks from the extremely high temperatures. French Junior Ecology Minister Mathieu Lefevre described the current heatwave as an unusual phenomenon. His statement came after several European countries also recorded their highest temperatures for the spring to early summer period this year. “This heatwave is very intense and has arrived very early,” he said. The extreme heat has also forced several French cities to cancel their annual music festivals. The government has even banned alcohol consumption in public spaces in areas under red alert for health reasons and to maintain public order. Some regions in France recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, a figure considered extreme for June. In the Gironde area of southwestern France, local authorities reported that three residents aged between 80 and 95 had died, with the hot weather cited as a contributing factor. Similar conditions are occurring in Belgium. National rail operator SNCB cancelled a number of peak-hour train journeys on Monday and Tuesday to reduce the risk of track damage from high temperatures. “The country could potentially record its highest temperature in history this week,” said David Dehenauw, Head of Forecasting at the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (IRM). In Spain, the meteorological agency Aemet warned that “very high” temperatures would persist until Wednesday, with forecasts reaching 44 degrees Celsius in some areas. The Madrid City Council also cancelled a public viewing event for the Spanish national team’s World Cup victory over Saudi Arabia, deeming the weather too dangerous for the public. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is expected to break its highest temperature record for June. Royal Meteorological Society Chief Executive Liz Bentley said temperatures could reach 38-39 degrees Celsius. “Next week will bring an unprecedented heatwave,” she stated. The UK’s previous June temperature record stood at 35.6 degrees Celsius. Scientists assess that climate change is the main factor behind the increasing frequency of extreme heatwaves. Akshay Deoras, a senior researcher at the University of Reading’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science, said human-induced climate change has increased heat in the atmosphere, making extreme temperatures far more intense than in the past. The French meteorological agency has even warned that the current heatwave could match the severity of the extreme heat event in August 2003, which killed nearly 15,000 people in the country.