Rivers are ‌bringing historically low levels of water into the Netherlands, where it has also hardly rained in ​recent weeks.

Measures are therefore needed to ​evenly distribute supplies and meet rising demand ⁠for water, the government said.

The country had ​moved from a situation with a “possible” shortage to ​an “actual” shortage, and that situation was expected to remain in the weeks to come, it added.

The situation ​does not affect the supply of drinking ​water, as stocks had already been increased before the ‌summer.

Ships ⁠will likely face delays as locks will be opened less frequently to limit the inflow of salt water.

Irrigation will also be limited ​in various ​places.

According to ⁠the Reuters Climate Monitor, the average high across Western Europe is forecast ​to be 28.7 degrees Celsius (83.66 degrees ​Fahrenheit) ⁠on Thursday, which is 5.4 degrees above the normal high for July 16 from 1961 ⁠to 1990. The average high ​in the Netherlands of 24.3 degrees is 4.5 degrees above ​normal.

In Taxila, strong winds and heavy rain lowered temperatures but caused power outages in several areas.

Heavy rainfall also lashed Dera Ghazi Khan, where the roof of a room collapsed in Aman Mela village in Tehsil Darazinda during a windstorm, injuring four women and two children.

In Haripur, rising inflows from upper districts pushed the water level at Tarbela Dam to 1,499.21 feet, around 97 feet above dead level, according to the dam administration.

Water inflow was recorded at 211,000 cusecs, while outflow stood at 162,400 cusecs.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued an alert warning that additional water could be released from Tarbela Dam within the next two days due to increasing inflows into the Indus River.

The authority instructed the district administrations of Swabi and Nowshera to remain on high alert and take precautionary measures.

The PDMA advised the public to avoid visiting riverbanks and warned against swimming, boating and fishing in rivers. Parents were also urged not to allow children to go near the water.

In Sindh, rain accompanied by strong winds swept through Gambat and surrounding areas, raising concerns over possible damage to the date palm crop.

Heavy rain also followed strong winds in Kot Addu, where low-lying neighbourhoods were submerged and streets and roads in several areas were flooded.

According to Rescue 1122, the house caved in after torrential rainfall, trapping 14 people beneath the rubble.

Rescue teams from Kohat and Karak launched an operation and successfully pulled all those trapped from the debris.

The deceased were identified as 50-year-old Basmina, 45-year-old Nawab Jana, Farmina, and four-year-old Arham. Rescue officials said women and children were among the worst affected.

The injured were provided first aid at the scene before being shifted to various hospitals for treatment.

Rescue 1122 said four ambulances from Kohat and two from Karak took part in the operation, which was completed after all victims were recovered from the collapsed structure.

The incident comes as monsoon rains continue to batter several parts of Pakistan, triggering flash floods, damaging homes and disrupting daily life.

Earlier on Monday, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) warned that additional water could be released from Tarbela Dam within the next two days due to rising inflows into the Indus River.

District administrations in Swabi and Nowshera were directed to remain on alert, while the public was advised to stay away from riverbanks and avoid swimming, boating and fishing.

Elsewhere, strong winds and heavy rain caused power outages in Taxila, while a roof collapse in Dera Ghazi Khan injured six people, including four women and two children.

Heavy rain also inundated low-lying areas in Kot Addu, and strong winds in Sindh’s Gambat raised concerns about damage to the date palm crop.

Water levels rose to more than two metres on roads in Kuancheng, a county in Hebei, according to a resident’s account that was broadcast by local official media.

Kuancheng is home to around 240,000 people and is located on the banks of the Luan River.

Several cars ​were filmed crashing into each other in Kuancheng as they bobbed up and down on a waterlogged road before being carried away by ​the strength of the current.

The floods came after Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to strike mainland China this year, brought ⁠heavy rain to the eastern coast and violent winds to the area’s densely populated cities, testing the country’s ability to cope with extreme weather.

Authorities ​warned the storm would dump torrential rain across the provinces of Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui, exacerbating flood risks in areas that had already ​been soaked by earlier downpours.

Around 1,800 villagers in Kuancheng were stranded, state broadcaster CCTV reported, while authorities said that relocating and resettling residents was their top priority.

In Liaoning, authorities raised the red alert for flash floods, warning of very high risks.

“During a red alert for heavy rain, all work stoppages, business closures, and gatherings must be ​fully implemented,” Hebei authorities said in a statement on WeChat.

Swimming, paddleboarding

Videos on RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu, showed a person swimming backstroke down a ​road in Shenyang, Liaoning, with the rows of parked cars on the side of the street almost completely submerged by the water.

Another clip on RedNote showed someone standing ‌on a ⁠paddleboard to navigate the flooded streets.

A man was also filmed wake surfing behind a car on a wide road that had been inundated with water in Shenyang, a video on China’s WeChat showed.

In a separate clip, police could be seen pushing a submerged car through the city’s floods.

Many train services in Shenyang were also suspended, China Railway said on Monday, with more than 30 railway sections affected.

Schools have also been closed across many areas, including the northeastern ​province of Jilin.

Some areas in northeastern China ​will experience thunderstorms or hailstorms ⁠of Force 8 or above, CCTV reported, citing the country’s Central Meteorological Observatory.

“In some areas of central and northern Jiangsu, thunderstorm winds of level 10 or above will occur, with maximum winds reaching force 11 or above, and ​tornadoes may occur locally,” it said. Force 11 winds can reach speeds of up to 117 kph.

Bavi, ​covering an area the ⁠size of France, formed in the Pacific Ocean 13 days ago.

Its structure remained largely intact on Monday even after making landfall in eastern China on Saturday night, making it the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the Asia-Pacific region this year.

Its longevity is largely due to its unusually well-preserved warm core, Chinese meteorologists ⁠say, allowing ​Bavi to retain much of its moisture as it churns north towards the Korean peninsula.

​Intense rainfall is expected when Bavi, currently classified as a tropical storm, slows further and starts to release all the moisture that it has been holding.

Forty-six rivers nationwide are experiencing flooding ​above warning levels, CCTV reported, citing China’s Ministry of Water Resources.

The fire broke out alongside ​a highway near Fontainebleau, home to one of France’s best-known royal palaces, which ​once served as a hunting lodge and autumn residence for past monarchs. ⁠

By midnight, the flames had scorched more than 800 hectares, fanned by hot ​winds.

Just 70 kilometres from Paris, the blaze forced the closure of the A6 highway ​linking Paris with Lyon and the south.

Smaller fires in the area also disrupted high-speed train services.

“The fight continues today,” the French fire service said on X. Local residents have been warned that the Canadair ​planes will have to scoop water from the river Seine, which flows through central ​Paris.

European countries are worried about increasingly frequent heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures.

Most scientists say the fires are ‌driven ⁠by climate change, with large swathes of continental Europe parched.

Wildfires have already ripped through regions of France, Spain, Portugal and Greece, charring thousands of hectares of land.

The death toll from a blaze that swept through Spain’s southeastern Almeria province rose to 13 over the ​weekend, when a 93-year-old British ​woman died of ⁠burns.

Western Europe is gripped by its third prolonged spell of baking temperatures this summer.

A heatwave in late June likely killed thousands of ​people, with countries reporting more than 10,000 excess deaths.

Power supplies ​were disrupted, ⁠schools shut and temperature records broken in France, Spain and Britain.

“To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It’s really high,” said Lasse Vestergaard, chief ⁠physician at ​Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, a Europe-wide ​mortality surveillance system.

“It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat,” Vestergaard ​told Reuters.

The vast majority — more ​than 9,000 — were among people aged 65 and above, according to data published by ‌EuroMOMO, a network backed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organisation.

Extreme heat can kill by causing heat stroke, or aggravating cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, with older people among the most ​vulnerable.

“To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It’s ​really high,” Lasse Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which hosts ⁠EuroMOMO, told Reuters.

“It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme ​heat,” Vestergaard added.

Scientists have said the late-June heatwave would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change, ​which is making heatwaves more frequent and intense.

The data, pooled from national mortality statistics in 27 European countries, included excess deaths from all causes, not just heat-related ones, during the week of June 22 to 28, when ​the heatwave peaked in France, Spain, Britain and other countries.

But scientists said there were no other ​known major factors, such as COVID-19 outbreaks, that would have contributed to the spike to 10,650 excess deaths in that week.

The ‌same ⁠European countries’ combined mortality over the previous eight weeks was, on average, around 500 deaths per week below typical levels.

The EuroMOMO data could be revised in future weeks as more data comes in.

The extreme heatwave at the end of June disrupted power supplies, shut schools, and smashed temperature ​records in France, Spain ​and the UK.

EuroMOMO does ⁠not publish excess deaths per individual country, but it noted that France and Belgium were the only two countries in Europe to log “very high ​excess” mortality in the last week of June.

Belgium’s excess mortality was the ​highest during any ⁠heatwave in records going back to 2000, according to the country’s public health institute Sciensano.

A separate scientific study, published on Monday, estimated 2,700 people died from heat-related causes in England and Wales alone during ⁠the ​May and June heatwaves.

Of those deaths, 42% were caused by ​the extra heat that global warming contributed to the heatwaves, according to the findings by Imperial College London, the UK ​Met Office and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

According to a PDMA spokesperson, rain is likely in various districts, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Murree, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib and Faisalabad.

Likewise, rain in other districts of Punjab, including Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Sahiwal, Okara, Pakpattan, Kasur, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Vehari, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addo, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah and Bhakkar, has also been predicted.

The PDMA DG said that on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, an alert has been issued to the commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province, while all relevant departments, Rescue 1122, WASA and other relief agencies have been directed to be fully prepared to deal with the emergency.

According to the PDMA, the provincial control room and district emergency operation centres of all districts are monitoring the situation round the clock.

Instructions have also been issued to ensure immediate drainage of water from low-lying areas and choking points.

The PDMA has appealed to the citizens to stay away from electric poles and hanging wires during rain, avoid going into shabby and dilapidated houses and never let children go near water accumulated in low-lying areas.

Bavi had weakened by Sunday morning to a tropical storm as it pushed inland, but forecasters warned that the France-sized storm system could unleash prolonged and widespread rain across eastern and northern China in the coming days.

Nearly 2 million people were evacuated ahead of Bavi’s arrival, mostly in Zhejiang province, an economic and technological powerhouse in the world’s second-largest economy.

Bavi struck Zhejiang’s coastal city of ​Yuhuan at around 11.20pm on Saturday before making a second landfall in Yueqing, part of the city of Wenzhou, at around midnight.

“The winds were ​very strong,” Yueqing resident Li Liangxing told Reuters.

“We could hear roof tiles and tree branches falling. Of course we were scared, but ⁠we live by the sea, so we’re used to it.”

Gesturing toward a flooded canal beside his residential compound, Li said he had never seen the water so high.

“There used ​to be a walkway there, but now it’s underwater.”

More than 1,300 trees fell across Yueqing, with more than 700 of them uprooted entirely, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The deepest flooding ​reached roughly half the height of a vehicle tyre.

Emergency crews on Sunday deployed excavators and chainsaws to clear waterlogged streets littered with fallen trees.

In the city’s mountainous north, footage aired by CCTV showed a landslide that sent large boulders tumbling onto a mountain road, while swollen river waters submerged nearby trees.

In Kanmen, a coastal fishing town in Yuhuan, 72-year-old parcel shop owner Lin Yongjin was counting the cost ​of Bavi.

His shop, which faces the sea, bore the brunt of the storm. Metal frames supporting the entrance canopy had collapsed, and a window in a neighbouring building had ​been blown out.

Lin estimated the typhoon had caused more than 6,000 yuan ($885) in damage.

“After it came ashore, there was nothing we could do. Rainwater poured into the house. We spent the whole ‌night dealing ⁠with it and didn’t get to sleep until after 5am,” he said.

Having lived through many typhoons, Lin said this one stood out.

“It was a very powerful typhoon. It made landfall right here in Kanmen. We were right in its path.”

Flights, trains disrupted

Bavi passed northern Taiwan on Saturday, bringing strong winds and driving rain across much of the island. The storm dumped nearly 80 cm of rain in one area in the northern county of Miaoli.

Taiwan’s fire department said on Sunday that 134 people had been injured, mainly due to ​falling off motorbikes, slipping or being struck ​by objects.

It reported no deaths. ⁠The transport ministry said 137 international flights had been cancelled on Sunday, along with 62 domestic trips.

The disruption also extended to China’s transport networks.

In Zhejiang’s provincial capital, Hangzhou, two major train stations suspended all services and 327 flights were cancelled at Xiaoshan International Airport.

In ​neighbouring Shanghai, a total of 1,620 train trips and 684 flights were cancelled, state-backed The Paper reported.

As Bavi churns further across ​China, regions near its ⁠path could receive several hundred millimetres of rain in a matter of days, raising the risk of flooding, landslides and urban inundation, said Benjamin Horton, the dean of the School of Energy and Environment at the City University of Hong Kong.

“Even if the storm weakens after landfall, its large circulation can continue to generate destructive weather hundreds of kilometres inland,” he said.

Scientists have ⁠warned China could ​face more extreme weather this year with the expected emergence of the El Niño weather pattern, which can ​drive up temperatures and shift typhoon tracks westward toward the country’s coast.

“Rapid intensification (of typhoons) reduces preparation time for communities and emergency managers, making these events particularly challenging,” Horton said.

The disaster management ministry said on Saturday that flooding across seven districts — Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Moulvibazar and Habiganj — has ​disrupted daily life, isolated thousands of families, and stranded 267,918 households.

Many residents have ⁠been unable to cook for days as flood waters submerged their homes, while others are ​struggling after thick layers of mud covered kitchens and living spaces.

“There is still water inside our home ​, and we have no way to cook. The dry food we had has run out, and we spend the nights in the dark with our children because there is no electricity,” said Nurul Islam, a resident of ​a flood-hit area in Chattogram.

Thousands of families are relying on dry food — flattened rice, puffed ​rice or biscuits that do not require cooking — and emergency relief. Washed-out roads and damaged bridges, however, have made ‌it ⁠difficult for aid workers to reach some of the hardest-hit communities.

Army and navy personnel are ferrying food, drinking water, medicines and other essential supplies by boat to isolated communities, as authorities step up relief efforts.

“The government is doing everything possible to support flood victims. Relief, safe drinking water ​and medical supplies are being ​distributed, and we ⁠urge people whose homes have been inundated to move to the nearest shelter,” Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain said during a visit ​to affected areas in Chattogram.

The heavy rain also triggered landslides in Rohingya refugee ​camps in ⁠Cox’s Bazar earlier this week, killing 16 refugees, including women and children. More than one million Rohingya refugees live in the camps, where makeshift shelters on steep, deforested hillsides are especially vulnerable during the ⁠monsoon season.

Bangladesh ​is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, with ​seasonal monsoon rains regularly causing floods, river erosion and landslides. Scientists say climate change is making extreme rainfall more frequent ​and intense, increasing the scale and severity of such disasters.

On the island of Ishigaki, part of Okinawa prefecture, small pieces of debris could be seen flying ​across empty streets, with only a scattering of vehicles braving the gale and rain.

Boats at a harbour rocked ​in the strong currents brought on by the large and strong storm, which had maximum sustained ⁠winds of 144 kph near its centre.

Authorities issued a warning of gusts reaching up to 198 kph.

Flights and ​ferry services across Ishigaki, a popular tourist destination, remained suspended for all of Saturday.

Airlines cancelled 345 flights, and more than ​24,000 households in Okinawa lost power.

In neighbouring Taiwan, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people from mainly mountainous areas as the island shut down for the approach of Bavi to the north.

While Bavi, which is gradually weakening, will not make landfall on Taiwan, the government is taking precautions ​to prevent loss of life, given forecasts for almost 1 metre of rain in some areas.

Most of those evacuated ​were in areas in the north and east, with 920 international flights cancelled as well as all 280 domestic flights.

Almost all cities and ‌counties ⁠across Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday for Saturday, closing any offices and schools that may have been open on the weekend.

The main north-south high-speed rail line remained open but with reduced service.

In the capital Taipei’s downtown area, there was blustery wind and rain with some people still out on the street.

“It’s OK, it’s not that serious,” said Taipei resident Yeh Mao-hsiung, 68, ​out for a morning walk ​with his dog. “It’s just a ⁠little bit more wind.”

But in Taipei’s Beitou neighbourhood in the foothills of the mountains surrounding the city, gusts of around 100 kph knocked down trees and swelled rivers.

Bavi is forecast ​to hit the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, home to 10 million people, early on ​Sunday.

In Wenzhou, Chen ⁠Qiuqin, in her 60s, walked through steady rain on her way to her parents’ home to help them prepare for the approaching typhoon but said she was not too concerned given the government’s preparations.

“I was worried about the flowerpots on my mother’s balcony, ⁠so I’m ​going to help move them inside. My parents are both elderly, and ​they’re home alone, so I wasn’t at ease,” she said.

One Spaniard was among the victims, and the rest appeared to be foreign nationals who ignored instructions to shelter in place, trying instead to flee by car as flames spread rapidly through a wooded area around the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province, said Antonio Sanz, head of emergencies in the ​Andalusia region.

The area is a popular holiday destination and home to many foreigners, especially the French, Britons and Belgians.

Four people, who appeared to be British because the ​steering wheel of their car was on the right-hand side, died in one vehicle, he said. Seven others were found dead after apparently ⁠abandoning their cars and attempting to escape on foot along a route that was not part of the evacuation plan.

“The consequences have been terrible. Everything seems to indicate that, ​in the case of the dead, the majority - or all of them - are foreign nationals,” Sanz said.

Juan Manuel Moreno, head of Andalusia’s regional government, said 23 people were missing, some ​probably hikers. Rescue workers found several walking sticks at the scene.

“I think they’ve been caught off-guard in the woods. When there’s a sudden fire … you don’t know how to get out,” Moreno said.

The circumstances resemble those in neighbouring Portugal in June 2017, when a huge wildfire during a heatwave killed more than 60 people, with half of the victims burned to death in their cars.

Early start to Spain’s Wildfire season

A series of early summer heatwaves has left large parts of Spain parched and vulnerable to any spark, fueling an early start to the wildfire season.

So far ​this year, about 57,000 hectares (140,850 acres) have burned, about half the annual average for the past two decades and making up 40% of all the area burned in the European Union, according to the ‌European Forest ⁠Fire Information System.

“We usually don’t see these fires until August. They’re starting earlier now because the vegetation dries out sooner,” Roman Garcia, a forest firefighter from Salamanca, said on state broadcaster TVE.

A record heatwave last August provoked the worst wildfire season in three decades, charring 330,000 ha, an area twice the size of London.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez acknowledged at the time that wildfire prevention had been “clearly insufficient” and forestry management inadequate, pledging to do “whatever it takes” to ensure fires on such a scale never happened again.

Sanchez on Friday offered his condolences to ​the families of the victims and said ​he felt “enormous sadness and devastation”.

As authorities ⁠sought to identify the dead and track down the missing, anxious relatives from around the world posted messages on social media and local forums.

One woman said her daughter, who was driving a red Ford Fiesta and had her dog with her, was missing. Another ​person from the United States said her brother had been among a group of 10 people who tried to escape through ​a valley next to a ⁠stream.

Pedro Ridao, mayor of the nearby town of Antas, told TVE the fire was believed to have started when a power cable came loose and fell on a patch of dry scrubland on Thursday. However, a spokesperson for utility company Endesa ruled that out after technicians found that the cable carried no voltage.

“It was mainly the wind that was blowing in the afternoon that ⁠caused it ​to spread. As the afternoon wore on, we could see the fire was racing ahead, devouring farmhouses, holiday ​homes and cars, so we sprang into action,” Ridao said.

The death toll already surpasses that of 2005, when 11 firefighters were killed in a blaze in the central province of Guadalajara that was sparked by a barbecue.

According to the PMD, rain-windstorms and thundershowers, with isolated heavy falls, are likely in Kashmir from the night of July 10 to July 13, with occasional gaps. Similar weather is expected in most districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on July 11 and 12, while scattered rain accompanied by windstorms and thundershowers is forecast for Islamabad, Rawalpindi and several districts of Punjab on July 11 and 12.

The Met Office said rain-windstorms and thunderstorms are also expected in various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan from the evening of July 11 to July 13, while isolated rain-windstorms are likely in northern and northeastern districts of Balochistan on July 11 and 12.

In Sindh, mainly hot and very humid weather will prevail, although isolated rain-windstorms and thundershowers are expected in Tharparkar, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Larkana, Dadu and Jacobabad on July 12 and 13.

The PMD warned that windstorms and lightning could damage vulnerable structures, including solar panels, electricity poles and billboards, during the forecast period.

It said landslides may occur in vulnerable areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir on July 11 and 12, while water levels are likely to rise in local streams and nullahs in these regions as well as in hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan.

The department also cautioned that heavy rainfall could trigger localised urban flooding in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Lahore and Faisalabad on July 11 and 12.

The PMD advised tourists and travellers to avoid unnecessary journeys during the forecast period and urged farmers to plan agricultural activities according to the weather conditions while taking necessary care of their livestock.

It added that the prevailing hot and humid conditions are expected to ease during the forecast period and advised all concerned authorities to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures to avoid any untoward situation.

Firefighters on Friday ‌were still trying to contain one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires, with a total of 11 people confirmed dead, while 19 more are missing.

Authorities told some residents of areas in the mountains above Los Gallardos to evacuate via a recommended route, while residents of the forested hamlet of Bedar were told to shelter in place.

However, as the flames rapidly approached, Antonio Rubio, ​a handyman living in Bedar, said the smoke had made it impossible to shelter in place.

“We left the house yesterday (Thursday) afternoon at 5 ​o’clock. The fire didn’t reach my house – it stopped just short of it – but we could already see so ⁠much smoke, even though the fire was some distance away, so we had to leave,” he said. “We did so of our own accord.”

Sonia, a British woman ​living in Los Gallardos who declined to give her last name, said that she had taken in relatives as the authorities had told them to evacuate ​at 7 pm (1700 GMT).

She said that they had been told to avoid the main route out of Bedar, driving out on a back route further up into the mountains instead before doubling back towards the coast.

“There are many houses in the middle of the countryside in the mountains, so people would take whichever roads they could,” she said.

“The road ​from Bédar to Los Gallardos was blocked, since the fire had crossed the road and it was impassable.”

Sheltering in place saved lives

Antonio Sanz, head of ​emergencies in the Andalusia region, said residents of Bedar had been told either to take a recommended evacuation route or stay in their homes, given that the fire was ‌so close.

“In ⁠situations like this, it is essential that we all follow the routes indicated,” he said. “Unfortunately, in this instance, a decision was taken to use another route that wasn’t the one recommended for evacuation. Looking for another way out via a dry riverbed turned out to be a trap.”

Four people, who he said appeared to be British as the steering wheel of their car was on the right-hand side, died in one vehicle, Sanz said, while seven others were ​found dead after apparently abandoning their ​cars to try to escape on ⁠foot.

Ten of the victims appeared to be foreign nationals, while one Spaniard has been confirmed dead, he said.

“The village of Bedar in the end wasn’t affected by the flames in most cases, so that order to shelter in place ​avoided a more serious situation,” he added.

In the early hours of Friday, as the authorities sought to identify ​those dead and track ⁠down the missing, anxious relatives from around the world posted messages on social media and local forums.

One woman in the United States posted a message to the local emergency services saying her brother had been among a group of 10 people who tried to escape through a valley next to a stream, sharing the ⁠coordinates and asking ​emergency services to check for him.

The regional President Juanma Moreno said the instinct to flee ​was understandable. “When many people see a fire, the first thing they do is run away, don’t they? And of course, they think they know the routes, but if they don’t have the ​right information, those routes can of course turn into a death trap.”

Around 4,270 of ​the deaths were among people aged ​75 and older, the RKI said in a weekly report.

More women than ​men died, mainly because they ​make up a higher share of the very ‌old.

The ⁠German data add to a grim picture across Europe.

The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said ​in a ​bulletin ⁠on Thursday that Western Europe had its hottest ​June on record with an ​average ⁠of 20.74 degrees.

National authorities have reported more than 4,700 excess deaths during ⁠the ​June 20-28 heatwave ​in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands.

More than 1.2 million Rohingya live in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee settlement, after fleeing a 2017 military crackdown in neighbouring Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are ​accused of being outsiders.

Most families live in makeshift shelters made ​of bamboo and plastic sheets on steep, deforested hillsides that ⁠are highly vulnerable to landslides during the annual monsoon season.

The landslides hit ​four locations across the camps, burying shelters under mud and debris while ​residents were asleep.

A Bangladeshi man was killed, and two family members were injured when part of a hillside collapsed onto their house in Cox’s Bazar, police said.

“Eight people ​have died in landslides caused by heavy rain,” said Tumpa Das, a ​police official in Cox’s Bazar.

She said continued rainfall had increased the risk of further ‌landslides, ⁠with thousands of refugees still living on unstable slopes.

“We’re moving people out of high-risk areas as quickly as possible to prevent any more casualties,” said Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, the Bangladeshi official tasked with refugee relief and ​repatriation.

The deaths come ​as renewed ⁠fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State raises concern of a fresh influx of Rohingya refugees across the border.

Bangladeshi authorities have ​stepped up monitoring along the frontier amid reports of ​people ⁠gathering near the border seeking to enter the country.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rain in the coming days, prompting authorities to remain ⁠on alert ​for additional landslides and flash floods.

Landslides and ​flooding are common during the monsoon season in the refugee camps, often killing people and ​damaging homes, roads and other facilities.

The wet conditions, however, made roads slippery, leading to multiple motorcycle accidents.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the weather in Karachi is expected to remain humid with partly cloudy skies over the next 24 hours, while drizzle may occur in some parts of the city during the morning and nighttime hours.

The maximum temperature in Karachi is forecast to range between 34°C and 36°C, while the minimum temperature recorded on Saturday was 29.2°C.

The Met Office said humidity levels stood at 78%, with southwesterly sea winds blowing at a speed of 11 kilometres per hour.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast rain accompanied by thunderstorms in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the next 24 hours, while most parts of the province are expected to remain under hot and humid conditions.

Dust storms are also likely in the province’s plains during the evening hours.

According to the forecast, thunderstorms and rain are expected in Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Charsadda and Swabi.

Similar weather conditions are also likely in Haripur, Abbottabad, Shangla, Malakand, Upper and Lower Dir, and Chitral.

The Met Office said rainfall is also expected in Buner, Bajaur, Kohistan, Torghar, Battagram and Mansehra, while thunderstorms may affect parts of Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai districts.

The weather department warned that strong dust-laden winds are likely to affect the province’s plain areas after sunset and advised residents to take precautionary measures.

Meanwhile, rainfall was recorded in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the past 24 hours.

According to the Met Office, the highest rainfall was recorded in Cherat, which received 50 millimetres of rain, followed by Malam Jabba with 16 millimetres and Parachinar with 13 millimetres.

Landi Kotal received 5 millimetres of rain, Bajaur recorded 4 millimetres, and Drosh received 3 millimetres, while Peshawar, Dir, Kalam and Mirkhani each recorded 1 millimetre of rainfall.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), temperatures in several parts of Punjab fell after widespread rainfall and gusty winds swept across the province on Wednesday night.

Mandi Bahauddin recorded the highest rainfall at 23 millimetres, followed by Murree with 17mm.

Hafizabad and Sheikhupura each received 14mm of rain, while Gujranwala recorded 11mm and Lahore 10mm.

In Lahore, the overnight rainfall helped ease the heatwave conditions, with the current temperature recorded at 29 degrees Celsius and the ‘feel-like’ temperature at 33 degrees.

The PMD said the maximum temperature in Lahore is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius later in the day, while the heat index, or ‘feel-like’ temperature, could climb to around 40 degrees due to high humidity levels.

Humidity in the city was recorded at 75%, contributing to the higher perceived temperature, while winds were blowing at a speed of 13 kilometres per hour.

The weather department has forecast partly cloudy conditions in Lahore, with intermittent sunshine and a chance of light to moderate rainfall during the day.

It also predicted further rain in the city over the next 24 hours.

The extreme heat was expected to push “real-feel” temperatures to 100 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit across much of the region, elevating the risk of heat-related illness for vulnerable populations and threatening to overwhelm power grids already strained by rising consumption from data centres and electric vehicles.

In Hill City, Kansas, a tiny high plains town 270 miles east of Denver, mail carrier Sabrina Hooper was struggling with the 100-plus-degree temperatures ​just one week after starting her job.

“It’s completely debilitating,” said Hooper, 34, of the heat’s effect on her work, which entails walking up to 10 miles each day to deliver ​parcels.

She said she gets some relief from lawn sprinklers: “It’s so nice. You can take your hat off, get it wet, slap it back on ⁠your head.”

Hill City was the nation’s hottest spot for five consecutive days in 2012, when another record-breaking heatwave swept the region, pushing the town’s heat index up to 108 degrees.

The heat index measures ​how it feels when humidity is factored into the air temperature.

Dana Robles, who lives in Brownsville, Texas, a city just off the Gulf Coast at the US-Mexico border, worried on Wednesday about the mounting costs ​of cooling her home as the heat index rose to 108 degrees.

During peak temperatures, her family’s monthly power bill can exceed $300, which is nearly one-third what they pay for rent.
Robles also fears blackouts due to the overtaxed power grid.

“I’m scared the electricity is going to go off all day, and our food is going to get spoiled,” she said.

In Chicago, high-school science teacher Michelle Klein, 57, had started preparing for the heat over the weekend.

She filled ​her car with gas, did her weekly grocery shopping early, stocked the refrigerator with extra cold drinks and gave her plants a deep soak.

“The basil was being a diva and needed another drink of water this ​morning,” Klein said on Tuesday evening after going on her usual evening walk despite the 103-degree heat index.

In the city’s suburbs, property investor Amy Kaspar got an urgent call Monday night from a tenant whose air conditioner ‌was only ⁠blowing out warm air. Kaspar discovered that the appliance was working fine – it simply could not keep up with cooling the tenant’s unit, given the intense heat and humidity.

“Combined with the wind, it feels like standing behind the exhaust of a bus right now in Chicago,” said Kaspar, 50.

Cooling centres, check-ins

Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications urged residents on Wednesday to periodically check in with relatives, neighbours, seniors and other vulnerable populations.

If contact cannot be made, the office said, Chicagoans can request a well-being check from the city by calling 311.

The scorching US temperatures mirrored those in western Europe, which recently has been engulfed ​in its own record-breaking heatwave, an event scientists said ​would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate ⁠change.

Scientists have confirmed through years of studies that greenhouse gas emissions are making heatwaves around the world both more likely and intense.

The extreme heat only began creeping into New York City as of Wednesday morning, by which point the city had opened hundreds of cooling centres and deployed more ​than a dozen “cool vans” equipped with water, electrolytes, sunscreen and meals for New Yorkers in need of relief, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a ​press conference.

Air conditioning was on ⁠full blast at a senior centre in Harlem on Wednesday, where a sign in 13 languages advertised the space as a “cooling centre” for the public.

The senior centre’s director, Richard Allman, said it would remain open beyond its usual hours over the July 4 weekend.

“We try to make this a comfortable place for people on an extra-hot day,“ he said.

Ahead of the heatwave, city leaders had asked operators of signs in ⁠the city’s iconic ​Times Square to reduce the brightness of their billboards to lower energy consumption, and requested that businesses set thermostats no lower ​than 78 degrees.

The city’s energy provider, Con Edison, urged customers to limit energy use from 2pm to 10pm

The city has also extended public pool hours, opened additional cooling centres in libraries and municipal buildings, and expanded street outreach ​efforts.

The European Union has ​sought to be a leader in addressing climate change and was one of the first major economies to set a legally binding target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

But a ‌June heatwave that peaked at above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Europe has revealed how its businesses, amenities and critical infrastructure are not prepared for the consequences of climate change in the here and now.

“We’ve not been good enough on adaptation,” Poland’s Deputy Climate Minister Krzysztof Bolesta told Reuters after some power supplies across the region were disrupted, outdoor work was banned in places, trains were cancelled in Germany, and in Sweden a cargo train derailed as extreme temperatures buckled metal rails.

Among ​the countries worst affected, Spain reported 1,000 excess deaths that it linked to the record heat.

Adapting buildings and public spaces to cope with extreme heat is typically the responsibility of national or regional authorities, ​rather than the EU, which says individual countries are best placed to understand their particular needs.

“There’s no point in trying to say from Brussels how the Greeks ⁠or the Spaniards need to battle wildfires,” EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who later this year will set out an EU-wide “climate resilience plan”, told journalists.

“They know that much better than we do, as the Dutch know ​much better how to build dikes,” he said, adding the EU plan would focus on common scenarios and best practice.

Still, the EU’s own spending on adapting remains small, even as global warming is heating Europe at a ​faster rate than any other continent.

Between 2021 and 2025, 72% of the climate-related spending from the EU’s joint budget went to mitigation, or limiting the greenhouse gases that cause warming, while just 18% went to adaptation, and 9% touched both issues, official figures show.

Financial incentives for mitigation

The EU and its member governments have a suite of financial incentives in place to reduce emissions, including subsidies to build renewable energy, and the EU’s Emissions Trading System, which caps the emissions companies produce and lets ​greener firms trade at a profit their spare permits to pollute.

Poland’s Bolesta said that for businesses there was no equivalent encouragement to invest in adaptation measures.

“It’s easier to see the business case for mitigation, because you ​have the cap-and-trade system, you have carbon credits, you have renewables companies,” he said.

“Adaptation, it’s mostly regarded as a cost with very long-term benefits, so delayed gratification, but also sometimes just an insurance policy – it might, or it might not ‌kick in.”

Climate change-fuelled ⁠extremes like heatwaves, drought and floods cost the near-stagnant European economy 0.3% points in output last year, Dutch bank ING said in a note this week.

“The uncomfortable truth is that heatwaves have quietly graduated from ‘weather event’ to ‘macro variable’,” ING said.

“The thermometer, it turns out, has become a leading indicator.”

The cost to economies ranges from threats to tourism or farming revenues in southern countries, to the difficulty of working in offices that are not adapted to hot weather.

Despite an official estimate that one day of heat above 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) costs the German economy €430 million ($465 million) due to productivity losses, only half of German offices are air-conditioned, according to the Federal ​Environment Agency, versus 90-95% in southern Europe.

“For decades, we (Germany) ​built against cold and not against heat, and ⁠that’s an adaptation gap,” said Geraldine Dany-Knedlik from the German Institute for Economic Research DIW.

Irene Seemann, who heads efforts to help businesses with climate adaptation in the large German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said there were signs of mindset change.

“To use a football analogy, Germany has been one-nil down because heat has not been much ​of an issue,” Seemann said. “Now companies see that it has a direct impact on their operations.”

Some adaptation fixes are simple and relatively cheap.

Forbidden by heritage laws from structurally ​altering its historic, glass-domed  headquarters in ⁠Cologne, German flooring firm Project Floors applied  reflective film to its  windows and managed to lower indoor temperatures by 10 degrees Celsius.

“It was simple, effective, and required no power,” said Project Floors managing director Bernd Greve.

Others require more fundamental changes to workplaces and labour organisation, for example by rearranging work shifts to cooler times of the day, right through to reinventing public transport networks and urban spaces.

There has been progress compared with a deadly heatwave in 2003, when peer-reviewed ⁠studies have ​found around 70,000 excess deaths occurred over the summer in Europe.

The World Health Organisation released a statement this week estimating that heat-related ​deaths in Europe, more than two decades later, would have been around 80% higher without the adaptation measures now in place.

They include heat-health action plans, early warnings, cooling spaces and outreach to vulnerable people.

“They are saving lives right now,” said the WHO’s regional director ​for Europe, Hans Henri P. Kluge. “We need more of them, across all of the European region.”

The alert, issued by the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC), said rising temperatures, an active monsoon system and westerly waves were expected to trigger heavy rainfall and speed up glacier melt.

The NDMA said glacier-adjacent areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir faced an elevated threat of GLOFs, while sudden flash floods, debris flows, landslides and rockfalls could endanger vulnerable mountain communities.

It advised residents and local administrations in Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche, Kharmang, Astore, Diamer, Upper and Lower Chitral, Swat and other glacier-fed valleys to remain vigilant.

The authority also warned that rising temperatures and forecast rainfall could significantly increase water flow in the Hispar-Hopper Nullah, raising the risk of flash floods, debris flows and riverbank erosion.

In a separate advisory, the NEOC warned that heavy rainfall from July 1-4 could cause flash flooding in hill torrents and seasonal streams across parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

It said increased water flows were expected in streams and hill torrents in Charsadda, Nowshera, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir, Chitral, Shangla, Buner, Battagram, Torghar and Kohistan.

Seasonal streams in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Khushab, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin were also at risk of flooding.

In Balochistan, localised flash floods were forecast in Zhob, Sherani, Musa Khel, Barkhan, Sibi, Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Loralai and adjoining areas.

The NDMA said heavy rainfall could also trigger overflowing streams and localised flooding in mountainous areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, while urban flooding was expected in low-lying parts of major cities.

It warned that roads, bridges, irrigation infrastructure and other public facilities could be damaged by flooding and landslides.

The NDMA directed relevant departments to ensure precautionary measures, drainage arrangements, emergency preparedness and continuous monitoring of river flows and glacial lakes.

It advised residents in low-lying areas and along riverbanks to avoid unnecessary travel and remain alert during the forecast period.

The incident occurred in the village of Raangoon in the Oshirai Dara area, where around 260 students were present inside the seminary at the time of the strike.

Residents launched rescue efforts immediately after the incident, while emergency responders faced difficulties reaching the remote area.

The injured students were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Wari, where doctors began providing treatment.

The incident triggered panic in the area, prompting a large number of relatives and local residents to gather at the hospital.

Authorities later released the names of the 22 injured students.

They were identified as Afnan Bibi, Insa, Shifa, Hasina, Bushra Bibi, Saniya, Fariha, Shaida Bibi, Gulfam, Urooj, Safeena, Hasina (daughter of Humayun), Salwa, Alishma, Manahil, Arz, Hasina (daughter of Abdul Rahman), Faryal, Abu Niza, Yusra and Nida.

No fatalities were reported.

According to the PDMA’s preliminary damage assessment, the children were killed when lightning struck the Zakhakhel area of Bara in Khyber district. Three injured children were shifted to a nearby hospital.

In Lower Chitral, torrential rain and a cloudburst triggered flash floods that affected 27 houses. The flooding also damaged two mosques, two shops and a bridge.

The PDMA said four vehicles and several motorcycles were also damaged, while authorities were assessing the overall losses.

In Upper Chitral’s Yarkhun and Mastuj areas, flash floods damaged a house, several drinking water schemes and irrigation channels. No casualties were reported, and relief supplies have been provided to affected families.

The authority said two link roads blocked by flooding in Lower Chitral had been reopened for traffic.

PDMA, Rescue 1122 and other agencies are continuing search, rescue and relief operations in the affected areas.

The authority said its Emergency Operations Centre remains fully operational, is coordinating with district administrations and closely monitoring the situation.

It urged the public to report emergencies through its helpline, 1700.

Meanwhile, intermittent heavy rain and hailstorms swept Abbottabad, Swat, Shangla and Bajaur, bringing relief from the recent heatwave but causing localised flooding and traffic disruptions.

In Shangla, heavy rain in Bisham, Puran and surrounding areas brought temperatures down significantly, while district authorities advised residents to avoid streams and waterways due to rising water levels.

Swat, including Mingora and nearby areas, also received torrential rain, with streams overflowing as rainfall continued in the upper tourist destinations of Malam Jabba and Kalam.

In Abbottabad, heavy rain and hail left several roads waterlogged, causing traffic congestion in urban areas. Bajaur also recorded thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain and hail.

Rain in Islamabad

Rainfall also reached Islamabad after days of intense heat and humidity.

In Sector F-7, strong winds uprooted a tree that fell onto a parked vehicle, damaging its roof and front and rear windscreens.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) teams removed the tree, and no injuries were reported.

According to the PMD, monsoon currents are expected to enter the upper parts of the country on June 30, bringing widespread rainfall to Azad Kashmir from July 1 to 6, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan from July 1 to 5, northeastern Balochistan from July 1 to 4, and the upper districts of Sindh from July 1 to 4.

Another spell of rain is also forecast in Sindh on July 3 and 4.

Upper and central Punjab are expected to receive rain and thunderstorms from July 1 to 6, with heavy downpours likely in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat and surrounding areas.

Separately, the PDMA has warned that most districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Faisalabad, Khushab, Sargodha, Sheikhupura and Narowal, are likely to receive rain from July 1 to 6.

A second spell is expected in southern Punjab, including Sahiwal, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Pakpattan, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Kasur, Bhakkar, Layyah, Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Khanewal and Lodhran, from July 3 to 6.

The PDMA has also warned of urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore and Faisalabad.

PDMA Director General Umar Javed said all commissioners and deputy commissioners have been placed on alert on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

He urged residents to stay indoors during lightning and thunderstorms, avoid open areas, and advised farmers and tourists to take precautionary measures.

Citizens have been asked to contact the PDMA emergency helpline 1129 in case of any emergency.

There was also a warning that the heat was likely to build again from the start of next week in countries such as France and Germany that bore the brunt over the past few days.

In ​Croatia, the weather service issued a red alert on Monday for regions including the capital Zagreb and the ​tourist destinations of Split and Dubrovnik.

Dozens of firefighters, assisted by four aircraft, battled a wildfire burning ⁠pine forests on the tourist island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea, some 34 miles (55 km) southwest of Split.

In neighbouring ​Serbia, the State Hydrometeorological Service (RHMZ) has warned temperatures would reach 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.

Further south, Albania contained a ​wildfire that has consumed many hectares of bushes and olive trees near the southern village of Klos over the weekend.

Scientists have said the heatwave, which began on June 20, was the worst recorded in Europe, and the blistering conditions have disrupted power generation, damaged infrastructure and overwhelmed healthcare ​systems.

France has reported 1,000 excess deaths during the heatwave. The French public health agency said most of the heat-related fatalities involved ​older people and warned the number was expected to rise.

The heatwave would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change, which has made this ‌week’s soaring ⁠night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been just two decades ago, according to scientists.

Heat to rise again further west

Luca Mercalli, the president of Italy’s Meteorological Society, said temperatures were set to soar again from July 5-6.

“The areas affected look broadly the same as in the first wave, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and to some extent Britain,” he told ​Reuters.

“With the extreme heat the ​risk of forest fires increases, ⁠but we are also seeing a lot of rainstorms, which obviously mitigates that risk,” he added, noting that storms were very localised so rainfall amounts could vary greatly.

Further tragedies related to ​the heat were reported at the weekend.

Two boys aged 8 and 10 from Bulgaria were ​found dead in ⁠a hot car in Cyprus on Sunday afternoon, police said.

Cyprus is currently experiencing temperatures of around 38 C, which is not classified as a heatwave on the east Mediterranean island for the time of year.

Two cyclists, a 30-year-old and a 71-year-old, died while ⁠taking part ​in an event in the Poland Bike Marathon series in Marki near ​Warsaw on Sunday.

Temperatures in Poland reached a new record high on Sunday at 40.5 C.

Detailing its preliminary count of excess deaths, Sante Publique said most of the ​fatalities involved older people and that it expected ​the mortality rate to rise as more information ⁠became available about deaths in residential care and homes.

Europeans ​have been enduring blistering conditions during a heatwave that has ​been linked to dozens of deaths — shattering records, disrupting power generation and damaging infrastructure.

Scientists have said the heatwave, which began on ​June 20, was the worst recorded in Europe, ​where the climate is changing faster than the global average.

Extreme heat cases in France

The heatwave has been moving east.

But while France’s weather agency said the extreme heat had diminished in most parts of the country, some areas in the ​northeast were still ​under a ⁠heatwave advisory.

Health Minister Stephanie Rist told La Tribune newspaper that the impact of ​the heatwave could linger for as long ​as 10 ⁠days after the weather had ebbed.

“The episode is not finished,” she told broadcaster BFM.

Most of the deaths involved ⁠people ​aged 65 and older, though the ​health effects of the extreme heat affected all categories of the population, ​Sante Publique said.

According to the PDMA, higher temperatures have increased the risk of glacier melting, raising the possibility of glacial lake outbursts, flash floods and landslides in sensitive areas.

The administrations of Upper and Lower Chitral, Swat, Upper Dir, Kohistan and Mansehra have been instructed to remain on high alert, continuously monitor vulnerable glacial areas and keep rescue agencies, machinery and emergency personnel ready at all times.

The PDMA also directed authorities to inform at-risk populations promptly and relocate them to safer places if required.

Tourists have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from rivers, streams, drains and glacial areas.

The public has also been urged to avoid rainwater drains and fast-flowing water during rainfall.

Britain, France and Switzerland have baked in record heat in June, and the system was expected to test more records as the heatwave crosses the Rhine River.

Public broadcaster ARD said a German record of over ​41 C was reached on Friday near Saarbrücke on the border with France, according to preliminary official ​data.

In France, dozens of people, including both young and old, have died during the heatwave. Temperatures ⁠above 40 C have disrupted rail travel and power generation, sparked alcohol bans, suspended schools and postponed outdoor events.

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

The Ironman European Championship long-distance triathlon taking place on Sunday in Frankfurt shortened the cycling and running courses due to the heat, organisers said.

Struggling with the prospect of damage to infrastructure, like buckling roads and swelling train tracks, some ​major public service providers sought to reduce traffic.

German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn has given customers the option of ​cancelling long-distance travel bookings into early next week without charge due to the heatwave.

The company said its infrastructure is under particular strain ‌because ⁠of sun exposure and additional risk to signals, tracks and overhead wires stemming from thunderstorms and wildfires.

Parts of Germany, mainly in the southwest, have already experienced a much hotter June than usual.

The most extreme heat is forecast to begin fading over the weekend, with heavy thunderstorms expected on Sunday.

Across Europe, cultural landmarks have had to close, farming has suffered and ​some hospitals have struggled to ​cope.

The heatwave has pushed ⁠temperatures up to 18 C above their seasonal average, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor, and is being driven by a phenomenon known as an Omega block.

This weather pattern traps a bulging ​ball of hot air over regions for extended periods, with cooler air on its ​fringes.

Demand for ⁠electric fans has shot up, and Asian air conditioning makers reported a European sales boom.

Most of the housing stock in Northern Europe is not built to temper heat but rather to keep it in.

The present heatwave will begin shifting by the end of ⁠the month, ​hitting Central Europe and the Balkans, the World Meteorological Organisation said.

Scientists said ​the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without manmade climate change, which has made this week’s night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they ​would have been even two decades ago.

In France, which on Tuesday recorded its hottest day since records began nearly 80 years ago, authorities sought to restore electricity to thousands of homes hit by power cuts in the northwestern region of Brittany.

The recorded temperature peaked at 44.3 degrees Celsius in ​the southwestern town of Pissos.

Italy’s health ministry issued its highest heat alert for 16 cities, from Florence and Milan to Rome, Turin ​and Verona.

In Britain, on course for its hottest June day ever, the Met Office weather service issued only ⁠the second extreme-heat weather warning in history.

Hundreds of schools stayed shut or closed early, as high temperatures could place even healthy people at ​risk.

At least 48 people have died in France from drowning as they attempted to seek respite from the crippling heat, while two young children ​were killed by heat in a car, authorities said.

Two elderly people died of heatstroke in Spain, which has experienced extreme temperatures since the weekend, exceeding 40°C.

Temperatures there were starting to ease on Wednesday.

Heatwave lock-in

A rare weather pattern known as an Omega block was causing the record-breaking temperatures across Europe, as high as 18 degrees Celsius above normal, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.

The phenomenon resembles the shape of the Greek letter Omega, with a bulbous middle trapping ​in intensifying heat hovering over regions for extended periods, with cooler weather on its fringes.

Weather agency Meteo-France has said the conditions are comparable to a heatwave ‌in August ⁠2003 that lasted 16 days and caused an estimated 80,000 excess deaths across Europe.

Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, the World Meteorological Organisation has said, which makes prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.

Models, builders feel the heat

In Paris, where the annual Fashion Week was underway, onlookers could be seen gasping and sweating during the Louis Vuitton show as male models showed off creations by pop singer Pharrell Williams.

Labels including Dior ​and Rick Owens changed their schedules ​to hold shows in the ⁠morning, organisers said.

The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum shut early on Tuesday.

In Switzerland, local authorities opened air-conditioned theatres for free daytime cinema screenings.

Construction contractors across the continent altered working hours so employees could avoid the worst, while ​retailers struggled to meet demand for fans and portable air-conditioners.

A French agriculture cooperative said farmers were introducing ​night shifts for harvesting ⁠to protect workers from afternoon heat and fields from fire risk.

In Britain, the grid operator asked generators to make more power available amid soaring temperatures poised to break records later on Wednesday.

Britain’s train operators have advised only essential journeys on Wednesday and Thursday, as the heat has brought speed restrictions.

In Italy, conditions ⁠were expected ​to worsen further, especially across central and northern regions, with the heatwave likely to ​peak between Sunday and Monday, meteorologists said.

Temperatures could reach 41°C between Tuscany and Emilia, while in coastal areas such as Liguria, the combination of heat and extreme humidity could ​drive perceived temperatures as high as 45°C.

Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Spain were also sweltering in extreme heat, with record temperatures in some regions disrupting schools and transport ‌networks.

Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organisation, making such prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.

HEAT ALERT ACROSS FRANCE

Much of France is under severe heat alert and set to experience temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, Meteo France said, with temperatures of up to 43 C expected in some parts of western France.

The country has just recorded its hottest afternoon and night since records began in 1947. Fifty-four departments are under red alert in ​what forecasters said was unprecedented.

Across France, people have been jumping into canals and rivers to cool off. French sports minister Marina Ferrari said she understood the urge to escape the heat, ​but warned against swimming in unauthorised or dangerous areas.

Speaking ahead of an emergency meeting on the heatwave, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said: “A sad scourge when ⁠it comes to drownings, as the latest figures just reported to us show 40 deaths since June 18, most of them young people.”

On Monday, first responders were unable to resuscitate two children, aged 2 and ​4, who were found unconscious by their mother in the family car outside their home, said a prosecutor in Carpentras, southeast France.

BUSINESS ACTIVITY SLOWS

In Paris, commuters struggled through sweltering conditions after sleepless nights in apartments ill-equipped ​for heat. Some trains were cancelled, including those between Paris and Brussels.

Business leaders said the economy was also taking a hit.

“France is running at a slow pace. Businesses, as far as possible, are implementing recommendations to protect their employees,” the head of France’s MEDEF employers group, Patrick Martin, told BFM TV.

HEAT DOME

Europe’s heatwave is driven by a weather pattern known as an Omega block, because it takes the shape of the Greek letter, with a bulge of hot air in the middle ​and cooler air either side, allowing temperatures to build day after day.

Heatwaves and storms are being intensified by climate change, pushing temperatures higher and causing more rainfall.

Meteo France said current conditions were comparable to the ​August 2003 heatwave, which lasted 16 days and led to an estimated 80,000 excess deaths across Europe, according to the EU. It was uncertain how long the current episode would last.

STORMS PART OF VOLATILE WEATHER PATTERN

In Italy, the health ‌ministry issued ⁠its highest level alert for 15 cities and authorities took measures to curtail work in some sectors. Storms are expected later on Tuesday over the Alps and Apennines, bringing heavy rain, gusty winds and hail.

Britain is also in the grip of the heat, with the Met Office forecasting temperatures of up to 37 C in southern England on Tuesday — potentially a new June record — before rising further on Wednesday and Thursday.

Dozens of schools plan early closures, citing buildings ill-suited to the heat.

Transport networks across Europe came under strain. Britain’s Network Rail warned passengers to travel only if necessary later this week as temperatures approach 39 C, with speed ​restrictions likely to disrupt services.

In London, overnight thunderstorms — part ​of the same volatile weather pattern — caused further ⁠disruption, including at Heathrow Airport.

CLIMATE SHELTERS

Spain’s meteorological agency has issued red alerts across parts of the country, warning of dangerous heat with temperatures expected to reach 44 C. Nighttime has brought little relief, with around 30 monitoring stations still recording temperatures above 25 C early on Tuesday.

Madrid has opened climate shelters for vulnerable ​people, including the homeless. The shelters would “provide a climate-controlled environment, offer basic food, allow visitors to take a shower, and give them a chance to ​rest for a while,” said ⁠Juan Carlos Arellano of Madrid’s Samur Social.

Dozens of municipalities across northern Spain cancelled traditional bonfires due to wildfire risks, underlining how extreme temperatures are disrupting both cultural traditions and everyday activities.

In Belgium, soaring temperatures forced a primary school in Tervuren, near Brussels, to relocate its final exams to a nearby church.

In Switzerland, the northeastern canton of St Gallen restricted water withdrawal from rivers and lakes, saying that surface and ground-water levels were low and ⁠temperatures high.

IT’S COOLER ​UP NORTH

As southern Europe bakes, cooler northern destinations are drawing tourists seeking a “coolcation”.

“We were thinking about travelling to Croatia, but we ​came to Sweden because it’s cooler here,” said German tourist Katharina Rexing in Stockholm’s Old Town, on a day when it was 22 C in the Swedish capital and 30 C in Croatia’s Zagreb.

Thousands of schools ‌in France closed or modified timetables on Monday, and forecasters in Britain predicted temperatures could smash records for June this week.

“We’re heading for, at the very least, several days of very, very hot weather. We don’t know when temperatures will start falling,” French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on TV channel TF1.

“Swim only in places that are supervised,” French Civil Safety service spokesperson Jerome Boulanger said after reporting the drownings from Sunday into ​Monday. Such deaths spiked 58% in France last year as swimmers tried to cool off.

Three elderly people, aged between 80 and 95, died over the weekend in the ​Bordeaux region as a result of health issues caused by the current heatwave in France, local government official Sophie Brocas told France TV ⁠late on Sunday.

Weather agency Meteo France said 49 regional administrative areas would be under a red heatwave warning.

An April report by the World Meteorological Organisation found Europe is warming at ​more than double the global rate.

According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, Europe on Monday was the continent furthest from its historic norm, with temperatures forecast to reach an average of 24 degrees Celsius (75 ​degrees Fahrenheit), 4.1 C above what was typical from 1961-1990.

The heatwave affecting large parts of Europe is known as an Omega block because it takes the shape of the Greek letter, with a bulge of hot air in the middle and cooler air on either side, said Clair Barnes, a research associate in extreme weather and climate at Imperial College in London.

“It’s drawing warm air up from North Africa, from the Sahara, ​and that’s why we have this really intense heat. It’s very slow-moving, and it means there’s kind of no wind, no breeze for respite,” she said.

Heatwaves and storms are ​being intensified by climate change, pushing temperatures higher and causing more rainfall, she said.

UK HEAT WILL BREAK JUNE RECORD SET IN 1976

The Met Office, Britain’s national weather forecaster, said on Monday that a four-day ‌heatwave there could ⁠push temperatures above 39 C in some places, easily breaking the June record of 35.6 C set in 1957 and 1976.

“Thirty six degrees is going to be disgusting,” said data scientist Lewis Jennings, out walking in central London.

In Spain, state weather agency Aemet issued a red alert for the Basque region, in the normally cooler north of the country, with the mercury in San Sebastian set to rise to a high of 40 C, more than double the city’s historic average for June 22, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.

“We are seeing temperatures ​between 5 and 10 degrees above normal for ​this time of year, and in some ⁠northern areas even more than 10 degrees above average,” Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for Aemet, said.

RED HEATWAVE ALERTS ACROSS ITALY

Italy on Monday issued heatwave red alerts for 12 cities, including Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome.

The Red Cross in Milan said it was inviting elderly ​people and those with health conditions to visit their cooling centre, where solar panels power air conditioning.

Local utility Iren was doubling workers’ ​shifts and adding generators ⁠to address sporadic power cuts in Turin as the electricity grid came under strain, a spokesperson said.

Birds such as swifts, swallows, sparrows and starlings, which make their nests in the eaves of roofs, have been particularly affected by abnormally high temperatures, said Romaine de Jaegere, a biologist and founder of the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Animals Living in the Wild refuge in Temploux in Belgium.

“Temperatures ⁠on the ​roofs can sometimes reach 50, even 60 degrees Celsius. So they prefer to jump rather than let themselves die ​and literally cook in their nests,” De Jaegere said, adding that the shelter had received 150 animals in the last three days.