Key events

The German Weather Service has issued a high temperature warning across Germany. All 16 states are under a heat warning, the majority of which are categorised as “extreme heat”.

“The heatwave is set to peak today. Temperatures of over 36C are expected across the board, with localised highs of up to 42C degrees possible,” it said in a post on Bluesky.

Nearly half of European cities are breaking heat records - research

Analysis by scientists from the World Weather Attribution group found temperatures in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain were between 5C and 12C above the seasonal average.

In a study, the research group also found that in 45% of 854 European cities examined, heat records had been broken or were forecast to be broken. The researchers measured what is known as the wet bulb globe temperature, a metric that combines air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation to estimate how much heat stress people are likely to experience in real-world outdoor conditions.

People cool off near a misting equipment near the Colosseum amid a heatwave in Rome, Italy. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

Opening summary

The UK is set to get some respite from this week’s record-breaking heat over the weekend, but much of the rest of Europe remains in the grip of an intense heatwave as it shifts eastwards.

Germany provisionally recorded its highest ever temperature yesterday with 41.3C near the city of Saarbrücken close to the French border. Forecasters say the hottest conditions are now spreading into central and eastern Europe, including Poland and the Balkans, over the weekend.

The Ironman European Championship taking place tomorrow in Frankfurt has been forced to adapt to the extreme conditions, with organisers shortening both the cycling and running courses because of the heat.

People sit at the side of the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Dortmund, western Germany during a heatwave in Europe. Photograph: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

“The ‌heatwave is going to peak at the weekend, well over 40C in some parts of Germany,” Karsten Brandt, a meteorologist ‌at weather forecasting site Donnerwetter.de, told Reuters.

France has borne the brunt of the heatwave, with temperatures exceeding well above 40C in some regions. The sweltering conditions have contributed to a growing number of heat-related fatalities in recent days, including dozens of drownings as people sought relief from the heat. Others have died after being left in hot vehicles or from heat stress.

The Pride march scheduled to take place in Paris over the weekend was postponed after police asked organisers to move the event to ease pressure on emergency services responding to the heatwave.

In contrast, organisers of the Budapest Pride march say the event will go ahead as planned this weekend despite temperatures forecast to reach 38C. They say the march is intended to send a message to Hungary’s new government after last year’s ban under former leader Viktor Orbán, underscoring continued public support for LGBTQ+ rights.

A water sprinkler during a heatwave in Krakow, Poland. Photograph: Beata Zawrzel/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

“This year’s Pride will send an important signal to the new government: these issues are still relevant, and we still face exclusion in many areas of life,” Hungarian transgender activist Pippin Nadori told AFP.

The UK provisionally broke its June temperature record for a third consecutive day yesterday, with 37.3C reached at Santon Downham in Suffolk. Until this week, the June record was 35.6C from the summer of 1976.

Andy Page, chief forecaster at the Met Office, said the UK will see a gradual shift in conditions over the weekend, with south-east England holding on to the warmest weather the longest. He added that an amber extreme heat warning remains in place for much of today, although temperatures are expected to peak in the low 30s.