A man dives into the Limmat River during a heatwave in Zurich, Switzerland (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
Switzerland recorded its highest June temperature on record on Thursday when thermometers in the northern city of Basel reached 38 degrees Celsius, surpassing the national June record that had stood since 1947, as an intense heatwave continued to grip large parts of Western Europe.According to the Swiss meteorological service MeteoSuisse, the record temperature was measured at the weather station in Basel, where the previous June the highest level of 36.9 degrees Celsius had been recorded in nearly eight decades. The agency said that temperatures exceeded 37 degrees Celsius in Switzerland during the month of June for the first time ever, and warned that the heat wave is expected to continue until Monday.“Temperatures exceeded 37 degrees Celsius for the first time in Switzerland during June, breaking the record set in 1947,” MeteoSuisse on Channel X said.She added that “a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius was recorded at the meteorological station in Basel,” where the previous record was set.Switzerland has placed most of the country under its highest heatwave alert level. Conditions were particularly harsh in the northern regions, where at least five other weather stations recorded temperatures above 37 degrees Celsius on Thursday, according to MeteoSuisse data.
Europe is facing an increasing heat wave
The extreme temperatures come amid a broader heatwave affecting much of Western Europe, with many countries lifting weather alerts and warning of health and infrastructure risks.
Britain, France, Spain, Germany and parts of Italy have raised alert levels, while meteorologists expect extreme temperatures to continue over the weekend and into next week.France was among the countries most affected by the current hot weather wave. The country recently experienced its warmest spring since records began in 1900, and meteorologists have warned that temperatures in Paris could exceed 40 degrees Celsius for the first time during June.
French authorities also reported at least 40 deaths linked to drowning incidents at unsupervised swimming sites during hot weather.In Germany, meteorologists warned of the possibility of thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain over the weekend, while Spain’s Civil Protection Agency warned that a prolonged period of extreme heat would affect much of the country and the Balearic Islands from Sunday onwards.The UK Met Office said there was a 40 per cent chance of breaking the country’s June temperature record, set in 1976. Meteorologists have already confirmed that England and Wales have had their warmest spring since records began.
