LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- A powerful heatwave has pushed temperatures to unprecedented levels across parts of Europe, with Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic and other countries recording new national heat records, prompting warnings from meteorologists and emergency measures to protect residents.
The new reading showed that Germany recorded its highest temperature ever on Saturday after the national weather service (DWD) registered a provisional 41.5C at the Drewitz weather station in eastern Germany.
This surpassed the previous national record of 41.3C, which had been set just a day earlier in Saarbruecken.
The extreme heat spread across neighbouring countries, with Denmark also breaking its all-time temperature record.
According to the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), temperatures climbed to 36.6C north of Odense before rising again to 37.0C at Odum, north of Aarhus.
The agency noted that the previous national record of 36.4C, set in August 1975, had officially been surpassed.
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Earlier in the day, DMI warned that the ongoing heatwave could produce historic temperatures, adding that the record-breaking conditions were still unfolding.
The soaring temperatures coincided with the opening of the Roskilde music festival, where attendees struggled with the intense heat while organizers installed additional water stations to help nearly 50,000 visitors stay hydrated.
Commenting on the worsening heat, TV2 meteorologist Peter Tanev said scientists had long expected such records to fall because of climate change.
“We’ve been aware that the risk would be there among other things because of global warming. The question right now is, how long will this record stand. It’s probably only a matter of time before we reach 40 degrees in Denmark,” Tanev said.
Notably, Sweden also remained under heat warnings, with the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute forecasting temperatures of between 36C and 37C in parts of the country’s south.
The Czech Republic joined the list of countries setting new records after the national meteorological service (CHMI) reported a temperature of 40.6C at Doksany, north of Prague.
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The reading exceeded the country’s previous record of 40.4C, recorded in 2012.
“Temperatures are still rising mildly so this may not be the final value,” CHMI said, adding that a complete assessment would be released later.
The agency also noted that it was the first time temperatures above 40C had been recorded in June, with the heatwave expected to peak on Sunday when temperatures could approach or even exceed 41C.
The prolonged heat has disrupted daily life across the Czech Republic.
In Prague, many residents stayed indoors or sought relief at parks, swimming pools and air-conditioned buildings.
Public transport operators reduced tram speeds to protect overhead power lines from heat damage, while water trucks sprayed city streets to lower temperatures and reduce ground-level ozone.
Also, several outdoor festivals also installed misting systems to help cool visitors.
The record-breaking temperatures across multiple European countries highlight the growing intensity of heatwaves linked to global warming, with weather agencies warning that even higher temperatures could become more common in the years ahead.
