Key facts
- 300 excess deaths recorded in France during May heatwave
- Roads melted and tram tracks buckled across Europe
- Funeral homes in France overwhelmed as toll rises
- WMO confirmed record-breaking heat across Italy and the Balkans
A ferocious heatwave has brought parts of Europe to a standstill, with roads literally melting and tram tracks buckling under extreme temperatures across France, Italy and the Balkans. The World Meteorological Organization confirmed the heat as record-breaking, and the human toll has been devastating: France alone recorded 300 excess deaths during the May heatwave.
Funeral homes in France have been overwhelmed as the death count climbs, echoing the catastrophic 2003 European heatwave that killed tens of thousands. Emergency services across affected countries have been stretched, and authorities have issued repeated warnings urging vulnerable populations — the elderly, children and those with pre-existing conditions — to stay indoors and hydrate.
The physical infrastructure of European cities, much of it built for more temperate conditions, has proven ill-equipped for the intensity of modern heat events. Melting road surfaces have disrupted traffic and public transport in multiple cities, while the buckling of tram tracks has caused service suspensions.
Climate scientists have warned that such events will become more frequent, more intense, and more prolonged as climate change accelerates. The current crisis has renewed pressure on European governments to fast-track adaptation measures — from urban heat island mitigation to expanded cooling centres — even as they grapple with the immediate emergency unfolding across the continent.