Southern and central Europe face prolonged heatwaves as national records fall

A relentless series of heatwaves across Europe has triggered severe health alerts and set new temperature milestones. Italian authorities issued top-level red warnings for all 27 major urban centers as the country endured its fourth heatwave of the season, with forecasts predicting temperatures near 40 degrees Celsius for over a week.

In Central Europe, Austria recorded its highest temperature on record at 40.8 degrees Celsius near Vienna. Meanwhile, French health authorities confirmed over 7,300 excess deaths linked to extended heat periods since May, as the nation logged 52 heatwave days since mid-June. Further extreme weather is expected to affect France and the United Kingdom shortly, worsening ongoing drought and wildfire hazards across the continent.

Sources: Aftenposten, Berlingske, DR, TV 2 Nyheter, VG (Verdens Gang)