Brainstorm: The June heatwave of 2026

Europe under heat stress: At the end of June 2026, large parts of Europe experienced one of the most extreme heatwaves in recent history – with record-breaking temperatures, tropical nights and massive impacts on daily life, health and infrastructure.

In this Knowledge Flash, we look at how this heatwave came about, why a ‘heat dome’ was behind it, and why temperatures today are significantly more extreme than in the past.

We take a closer look at the record-breaking heat in Germany and analyse one of the very hot days in Austria in 2026 in detail. What strategies are France, Italy and Spain using to cope with the heat, and what can – or rather, must – we learn from them? After all, heatwaves are no longer the exception – they are part of our new climatic reality.