Extreme Heat in Europe Persists, Forcing Nuclear Shutdowns and Causing Hundreds of Deaths

French electricity company EDF has reported shutting down two additional nuclear reactors because rising river temperatures caused cooling water discharged from the plants to exceed environmental limits set to protect wildlife. With this closure, a total of three nuclear reactors in France are now offline due to the hot weather. Average temperatures hovered above 35°C across the country on Thursday (25/06), according to a report by the AFP news agency. A similar issue occurred in Switzerland, which reduced operations at the Beznau plant. The government warned that the reactor could be shut down completely if the extreme heatwave continues. At least 101 million people in Europe are currently facing extreme heat. Of that number, around 50 million are in France and 18 million in Germany. Meanwhile, more than 380 million people, or nearly half the population, must endure temperatures above 30°C in various parts of Europe. This figure includes 70 million people in Germany, 63 million in mainland France, 48 million in Italy, and 38 million in the United Kingdom. This analysis is based on forecasts from the German meteorological agency and 2025 population projections from the Joint Research Centre. On Wednesday (24/06), the German meteorological agency stated that 94 million people had been affected by temperatures above 35°C. The temperature in the western German city of Bad Bergzabern overnight into Thursday (25/06) was recorded matching the previous heat record of 26.2°C set in 2019 in the same state of Rhineland-Palatinate, according to preliminary data from the German Weather Service (DWD). DWD meteorologist Jens Winninghoff told the DPA news agency that another record, the highest June temperature in Germany, could potentially be broken on Friday (26/06), as extreme heat is forecast for the west and southwest of the country. The extreme heatwave affecting much of Europe is suspected to have contributed to 212 deaths in Spain between Sunday (21/06) and Wednesday (24/06), based on excess mortality estimates from the monitoring system. The system, known as MoMo, records daily death counts and analyses possible causes for the spike, including weather factors. By comparison, during the same period in 2025, 98 additional deaths were recorded when Spain experienced its hottest summer in history. Between 16 May and 30 September of that year, total heat-related deaths reached 3,832 cases, an 87.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to MoMo data. The term excess mortality refers to the difference between the number of deaths that actually occurred and the number that would be expected based on historical average data. Spain is one of the European countries most affected by climate change. This week, mainland Spain recorded its highest daily average temperature since at least 1950, a combined average of maximum and minimum temperatures over 24 hours, reaching 28.08°C on Monday (22/06) and rising to 28.17°C on Tuesday (23/06). Most weather warnings were lifted on Thursday (25/06), although a yellow-level warning, the lowest, remained in place in the north. In countries like the United States, Australia, and Japan, hot and humid summers are typically managed with air conditioning. However, in many parts of Europe, simpler solutions are used, such as closing curtains, using fans, and keeping a supply of cold water. According to the US Department of Energy, around 90% of households in the United States have air conditioning. In Europe, which has a similar climate, the figure is only about 20%, though it varies by country. In hotter, sunnier Spain, around half of households have air conditioning, while in Germany, only about 6% do. There is a clear reason: until recently, air conditioning was not considered an essential need in many European countries, especially in the north.