Europe heatwaves expose 80 million to 40C heat

Europe's summer heatwaves pushed temperatures above 40C in areas inhabited by 80 million people from mid-June to mid-August, according to official data analysed by AFP.

The analysis found that 30 million people in France, 23 million in Spain and eight million in both Germany and Italy faced temperatures above 40C at least once. AFP based its calculations on daily maximum temperatures from the European Drought Observatory and population data from the EU's Joint Research Centre.

The heat was also widespread below that threshold. Temperatures rose above 35C in regions covering about 490 million people, or 80 percent of Europe's residents.

In France, more than 20 million people faced temperatures above 35C for at least 21 days, five times more than in the summer of 2022. Temperatures above 35C also reached countries normally spared extreme heat, including the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland.

The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said western Europe had its hottest recorded start to summer in 2026, with June and July reaching record levels.

Official German data released on Thursday showed a record 14,000 heat-related deaths this summer. Spain reported 4,500 and France 7,300. The totals are not definitive and could rise.

Ludovic Ravanel of France's CNRS research centre said high temperatures were melting ice in rock cracks in the Alps, contributing to a record number of rockfalls.