Europe faces prolonged fourth heatwave as temperatures hit historic highs

Western and Southern Europe continue to grapple with an unrelenting fourth summer heatwave, pushing temperatures toward 40 degrees Celsius and prompting severe health warnings.

In Italy, health authorities extended top-level red heat alerts across all 27 major cities, including Messina and Reggio Calabria, as meteorologists expect extreme conditions to persist for another week. The heatwave has already been linked to at least four fatalities in the country.

Record-breaking heat was registered in Austria, where temperatures reached a historic peak of 40.8 degrees Celsius near Vienna. Meanwhile, French health authorities reported more than 7,300 excess deaths associated with high heat between May and July, following 52 days of heatwave conditions.

As severe drought and elevated wildfire risks persist, both France and the United Kingdom are preparing for further surges in temperature.

Sources: Aftenposten, Berlingske, DR, TV 2 Nyheter, VG