Between June and September 2022, large parts of Europe were affected by persistent heatwaves which killed tens of thousands and caused billions of euros in damage. They were the deadliest meteorological event of the year and caused thousands of wildfires, as well as widespread droughts across much of the continent.
The first heatwave, which came in June, led to temperatures of , with most severe temperature anomalies in France, where several records were broken. A second more severe heatwave occurred in mid-July, extending north to the United Kingdom, where temperatures surpassing were recorded for the first time. A third heatwave began in August, with parts of France and Spain expected to reach temperatures as high as . Although temperatures in most places subsided in August, a smaller heatwave impacted France on 12 September, with temperatures reaching once again.
In late 2023, a study published by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health estimated that there were over 70,000 heat-related deaths across Europe during the heatwave, a significant increase from earlier estimates.
Meteorology The June heatwave was the result of an interaction among the high pressures that generate atmospheric stability; Tropical Storm Alex; the strong sunshine of the boreal summer; and an air mass emanating from North Africa that had entered the Iberian Peninsula loaded with suspended dust that caused haze in the centre and south of the peninsula.
Climatologists linked the extreme heat to the impact of climate change, and experts predict that changes in the jet stream as a result of climate change will cause heatwaves with increasing frequency in Europe. Furthermore, due to the jet stream, the increase in heatwaves for European countries is three-to-four times higher than other countries in northern mid-latitudes, such as the United States.
Estimates of death toll +Deaths by countryCountryReportedEstimated/unofficialAustria -352Austria -419Belgium -434Bulgaria -1,277Croatia -731Cyprus -101Czech Republic -279Denmark -252Estonia -167Finland -225France12,000Germany4,500+8,173Greece -3,092 (estimated)Hungary -513Italy -18,010Latvia -105Liechtenstein -1Lithuania -381Luxembourg -44Malta -76Montenegro -50Netherlands -469Norway -30Poland2763Portugal1,0662,212Romania -2,455Serbia -574Slovakia -365Slovenia -154Spain4,65511,324Sweden -40Switzerland -302United Kingdom2,9853,469
Reports of the death toll varied significantly. In July 2023, researchers from Barcelona Institute for Global Health estimated 61,672 heat-induced problems between 30 May and 4 September in a finding published in Nature Medical. The study gathered data from 35 countries with a combined population of 543 million people. A statistical framework was paired against historical meteorological records to observe the trend of deaths. The researchers said that they used weekly mortality data to develop their model which may not allow for short-term changes and hence may underestimate the actual number of deaths. Countries around the Mediterranean Sea, especially Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece, experienced higher death rates. In November 2022, Reuters stated that there were 20,000 "excess" deaths recorded; deaths which officials did not directly attribute to heat but may be heat-induced. In November 2023, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health revised their number to over 70,000 "excess" deaths after developing a new method to calculate the mortality rate. The new research utilised daily temperature and mortality data as opposed to the previous research method using weekly data. The researchers claimed the previous figure underestimated the true number by 10.28 percent.
By country Andorra On 15 June, Andorra's weather agency, the National Meteorological Service of Andorra, issued a "significant danger weather warning" due to heat. The weather warning was expected to last until 27 July with 24 and 25 July being the days in which the agency expected to raise the warning to "extreme danger weather warning". In the nation's capital, Andorra la Vella, temperatures were recorded to be over , far higher than the average for the time of year.
Austria
On 30 June, a temperature of was recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, this was also Austria's heat record for June.
On 5 August, a temperature of was recorded in Austria's capital city Vienna.
Belgium
On 19 July, the temperature reached in Uccle, with the highest temperature that day being in Kapelle-op-den-Bos.
Croatia The heat dome which caused extreme temperatures in north-west Europe was expected to affect Croatia from 21 to 24 July. Temperatures peaked on 23 July, reaching in cities including Zagreb, Osijek, Karlovac, Slavonski Brod, Knin. The highest temperature of was recorded in Valpovo. Temperatures exceeding were also recorded, but only at unofficial weather stations. The heat was ended the same day by a cold front in continental Croatia, but higher temperatures continued in the southern part of the country, which had been suffering a drought since 2021.
Denmark
On 20 July, it reached in Abed, Stokkemarke Parish, Lolland Municipality, breaking the all-time temperature record for that month. Copenhagen measured its record highest temperature when it reached , breaking the previous 2006 record. In Vordingborg it reached , and stayed above for 4 hours, another Danish record.
Finland
Finland was hit by the heatwaves in late June and early July. The highest temperature of was measured on 29 June in Utsjoki.
France June heatwave
On 16 June, Météo-France activated its red alert in 12 departments and its orange alert in another 25 because of the heatwave. The departments on red alert were mainly those located in the south-west, along the Atlantic coast and the south; the heat was generally less severe further north and east. The heatwave was the earliest in the year since records began and marked the fourth time that a red heat alert had been issued since the protocol was activated after the 2003 heatwave.
On 17 June, the red alert was activated in 14 more departments, adding the Hautes-Pyrénées and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques to the 12 of the previous day. The orange alert was activated in 56 more departments.
July heatwave
An estimated total of more than were burnt by wildfires in Gironde, causing a total of near 37,000 people to be evacuated.
On 20 July, a baby died in an overheated car in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Authorities reported the deaths of two others in work-related accidents, which was raised to four on 28 July, all likely attributed to the extreme heat.
Temperatures exceeded even in Brittany, which is unprecedented. It reached in Biscarrosse (Landes), in Cazaux (Gironde), in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), in La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée), in Lanmeur (Finistère) and in Brest (Finistère).
This July heatwave aggravated the drought that had been ongoing in the country since the start of the year, making July 2022 the driest July since records began.
September heatwave
A smaller heatwave affected southwestern France on 12 September, where temperatures reached as high as in Bégaar. According to Meteociel, monthly temperature records were broken at more than 70 Météo France stations.
Deaths The French Public Health Agency officially reported 7,000 deaths. On 6 September, Le Monde unveiled a report by INSEE, estimating the number of deaths due to the summer (between 1 June and 22 August) heatwaves was likely 11,000.
Germany June heatwave
From 14 to 20 June, Germany saw 1,636 probable heat-related deaths attributed to temperatures reaching .
July heatwave From 11 to 17 July, Germany saw an all-deaths excess death rate of 16% followed by 23% in the week from 18 to 24 July. This corresponds to 6,502 excess deaths. On 20 July, temperatures in several states reached new records. Temperatures in Hamburg reached , in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and in Schleswig-Holstein. The highest temperature recorded on 20 July was in Bad Mergentheim.
Deaths The Robert Koch Institute put the death toll of the heatwaves at over 4,500.
Greece
From mid–June to mid–August, Greece experienced one of its biggest heatwaves. A temperature of was recorded on 23 June in Fthiotida.
Guernsey and Jersey
On 18 July, a temperature of was recorded at Guernsey Airport, the record for July and just 0.1 °C lower than Guernsey's all-time record, which was on 9 August 2003.
Also on 18 July, a temperature of was recorded at Maison St Louis Observatory, Jersey, the highest temperature ever recorded in Jersey.
Hungary July heatwave On 22 July, a temperature of was reported at Újpest in Budapest, which broke the maximum temperature record for that day in the city. On 23 July, a temperature of was recorded at Kiskunfélegyháza and Hódmezővásárhely, which almost broke the all-time temperature record of in Hungary.
August heatwave On 2 August, Lake Velence reached record low water levels of due to severe drought.
On 3 August, the National Meteorological Service issued a third-level heat warning, with temperatures forecast to reach the low 30s and possibly exceeding from 4 to 6 August.
On 9 August, the National Directorate General for Water issued a press release, which stated that in the first 7 months of 2022, the amount of rainfall was 45 per cent below average, making it the driest year since 1901.
On 16 August, the National Meteorological Service issued a third-level heat warning, with temperatures forecast to reach above from 17 to 19 August. On 17 August, a temperature of was recorded at Baja and Kübekháza, breaking the Hungarian temperature record for that day. Due to the heat warning, the Hungarian State Railways and Volánbusz were distributing mineral water at major railway stations, rural railway stations and bus stations.
Iceland On 15 August 2022 the temperature reached in Neskaupstadur. It was Iceland's warmest day since 22 June 1939.
Ireland July heatwave Met Éireann issued a high-temperature advisory on 13 July, with temperatures forecast to reach the high 20s and possibly exceeding from 17 to 19 July. Met Éireann subsequently issued a Status Yellow high-temperature warning for Ireland on 15 July, with "exceptionally" high temperatures possibly reaching .
On 18 July, a temperature of was reported at Allenwood one of the highest temperatures ever recorded in Ireland, breaking the Irish temperature record for July. The record highest temperature had been at Kilkenny Castle in June 1887, but some in recent years have called for the reassessment of the previous record.
August heatwave Met Éireann issued a high-temperature advisory on 7 August, with temperatures forecast to reach above for a period of five days or more from 10 to 14 August. Met Éireann subsequently issued a Status Yellow high-temperature warning for Leinster and Munster on 9 August, warning of "very warm or hot" from 11 to 13 August, with "maximum temperatures of ". Met Éireann extended its high-temperature warning nationwide from 12 August with highs of forecast.
On 12 August, a temperature of was reported at Oak Park, County Carlow, breaking the Irish temperature record for August.
Met Éireann issued a nationwide Status Orange thunderstorm warning on 14 August, with heavy downpours of rain and hail forecast.
On 15 August the forecasted thunderstorms caused flooding, mainly in County Roscommon and County Carlow.
Irish Water appealed to people to conserve water as much as possible and warned that 37 water supplies around the country were being impacted by drought conditions.
Italy
June to August heatwave