Extreme weather in Europe

Alarm: British hospitals on the verge of bursting

Hospitals in the UK are on the verge of bursting due to the extreme heat, doctors tell The Guardian.

It's not just patients needing treatment for heatstroke and the like, which has caused congestion in several hospitals. Hospitals are also starting to have problems with radiation therapy machines and MRI scanners collapsing and cooling systems breaking down.

IT servers also overheated on Wednesday.

- We thought we were going to lose everything. So we were asked to turn off all computers that were not absolutely necessary, and all electrical equipment such as lights, says one doctor.

French teachers' union calls for strike in record heat

Teachers' unions in France are calling for a strike to demonstrate against "unacceptable working conditions" during the ongoing heatwave, AFP reports.

"The health of students and staff, as well as their working conditions, is being put at risk," the unions wrote in a joint statement.

Large parts of the country are under a red heat warning. In its statement, the teachers' union criticized the lack of preparation for heat waves, and urged school staff to exercise their right to go home from work if they experience serious and immediate danger.

Around 3,500 schools in France were closed on Thursday.

UK sets new heat record for June

It is officially the hottest June day ever recorded in the UK – again, reports Reuters.

In southwest England, the temperature reached 36.4 degrees during the day, writes the UK's meteorological agency Met on X.

The previous record was set yesterday. Before that, a June day in 1976 held the heat record.