UK and Switzerland record hottest ever June day as health emergencies surge in Europe

The Guardian25 Jun 2026Macro
Automatically composed with AI from the cited sources

The UK's provisional June high of 36.7°C in Somerset broke the national record set 24 hours earlier, while Switzerland exceeded 37°C in June for the first time, with 38°C recorded in Basel. The heat was linked to the death of a third young child in France, where Paris saw 25 cardiac arrests in a single day against an average of fewer than 10 and a fourfold nationwide increase in heat-related emergency visits; Spain's Carlos III Health Institute estimated 212 heat-attributable deaths between Sunday and Wednesday. The Netherlands issued a red alert and Deutsche Bahn warned against rail travel ahead of 35–41°C forecasts in Germany. The record comes one day after the UK had already broken its June maximum, and as heat-related fatalities mount across the continent.

Context

The record comes one day after the UK had already broken its June maximum, and as heat-related fatalities mount across the continent.

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