A severe heatwave is hitting Europe, with projections indicating that more than 90 million residents will endure temperatures climbing above 35C. Beyond this extreme threshold, approximately 300 million people across the continent—excluding Turkey—are forecast to experience temperatures surpassing 30C on Wednesday. These figures are based on an analysis of German weather service forecasts and 2025 population projections provided by the Joint Research Centre.
Western and Southern Europe are expected to bear the brunt of the heat. In France, regions home to 30 million people are set to see temperatures exceed 35C, though the northeast and mountainous areas may remain cooler. Similar conditions are anticipated for 29 million people in Italy and 21 million in Spain. The heatwave is also pushing into the Balkans, affecting Greece and the Adriatic coast, including Albania and Croatia.
Further north, the United Kingdom is seeing significant impact, with 43 million people expected to experience temperatures above 30C. The Met Office reported on Tuesday that the country is currently on track to record its hottest summer on record. To determine these figures, researchers cross-referenced population density with the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) weather forecast model published at 0300 GMT, counting residents where the model predicts temperatures exceeding 30C or 35C at any point during the day.
David Jablonski of the NGO Klimadashboard noted that because the model has a resolution of approximately 6.5 km, it does not fully capture urban heat-island effects. Consequently, the analysis likely underestimates the actual number of people affected in densely populated urban areas. Scientists emphasize that these recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, driven by the burning of coal, oil, and gas, and warn that these events are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense.
READ ALSO: Will heatwaves push European holidaymakers to 'coolcations'?
