Switzerland Records Hottest June Temperature Ever Amidst European Heatwave

A man dives in the Limmat river during a heat wave in Zurich, Switzerland (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Switzerland recorded its hottest June temperature ever on Thursday when thermometers in the northern city of Basel reached 38C, surpassing a national June record that had stood since 1947, as an intense heatwave continued to grip large parts of Western Europe. According to the Swiss weather service MeteoSuisse, the record-breaking temperature was measured at the Basel weather station, where the previous June high of 36.9°C had been registered nearly eight decades ago. The agency said temperatures exceeded 37°C in Switzerland during June for the first time on record and warned that the heatwave was expected to persist until Monday. "Temperatures exceeded 37°C for the first time in Switzerland during the month of June, breaking a record set in 1947," MeteoSuisse said on X. It added that "a temperature of 38°C was even recorded at the Basel weather station" where the earlier record had been logged. Switzerland has placed much of the country under its highest heatwave alert level. Conditions were particularly severe in northern regions, where at least five other weather stations recorded temperatures above 37°C on Thursday, according to MeteoSuisse data.

Europe grapples with intensifying heatwave

The extreme temperatures come amid a broader heatwave affecting much of Western Europe, with several countries raising weather alerts and warning of health and infrastructure risks. Britain, France, Spain, Germany and parts of Italy have all raised alert levels, while meteorologists forecast continued extreme temperatures through the weekend and into next week. France has been among the countries hardest hit by the current spell of hot weather. The country recently experienced its hottest spring since records began in 1900, and forecasters warned temperatures in Paris could exceed 40°C for the first time during June. French authorities have also reported at least 40 deaths linked to drowning incidents at unsupervised swimming locations during the hot weather. In Germany, forecasters warned of possible thunderstorms, hail and heavy rainfall over the weekend, while Spain's civil protection agency cautioned that a prolonged period of extreme heat would affect most of the country and the Balearic Islands from Sunday onwards. The UK's Met Office said there was a 40 per cent chance that the country's June temperature record, set in 1976, could be broken. Meteorologists have already confirmed that England and Wales experienced their hottest spring since records began.