A Hot Heatwave in Europe

A terrible heatwave hits many countries in Europe in June 2026. It brought very high temperatures everywhere.

France had its hottest day ever. Paris is usually about 23‑26°C in June. But now, Paris reached 41°C. Bordeaux is normally 24‑27°C in June. This time, Bordeaux hit 42°C. In Spain, Bilbao got up to 42.5°C. The country’s average June temperature broke its old record. Venice in Italy was over 34°C. Its usual June temperature is around 24‑27°C. The UK also had its hottest June day, with 36.1°C in Gosport. Experts say Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium will get hotter soon. Spain and Italy put out red heat warnings to tell people about the danger.

The hot weather can cause lots of problems. Many places in Western Europe lost electricity. Big forest fires broke out in central France. German officials asked people to save water and not have barbecues outside. A French politician said France was turning into a hot country and people must learn to live with the extreme weather.

People tried simple ways to cool down. Tourists and local people in Paris used public water taps. They swam in the River Seine or played in fountains. Kids in the Netherlands ran through fountain water. Some French children took cold showers every night. They slept on sofas to stay cool.

Schools had big changes because of the heat. More than 1,000 schools in the UK closed. In France, students could not go outside for breaks or lunch. Their fun summer fairs had to be cancelled.

BBC Newsround also made short fun videos. These videos teach kids about the hot weather.