Sources confirm the death toll from Europe’s scorching heatwave has now reached at least 1,300, as Germany logged an unprecedented 41.7 degrees Celsius in the northern town of Lingen. The mercury smashed the previous national record by a full degree, sending shockwaves through a continent already reeling from weeks of extreme weather. Emergency services across the Netherlands, Belgium, and France are struggling to cope with the surge in heat-related fatalities, with the elderly and vulnerable bearing the brunt.
In the UK, the Met Office has issued a rare ‘red’ warning for extreme heat, urging the public to take immediate precautions. Forecasters predict temperatures could top 40C for the first time in British history, a figure that would dwarf the previous record of 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019. Network Rail has already imposed speed restrictions across major lines for fear of buckled tracks. Meanwhile, hospitals report a spike in admissions for heatstroke and dehydration.
Documents uncovered by this newsroom reveal that climate projections given to Downing Street last year warned of exactly this scenario: a ‘highly likely’ breach of 40C by 2030. Yet the government has delayed key infrastructure improvements, including cooling centres and upgraded rail systems resistant to extreme heat. Opposition MPs are calling for an urgent inquiry into the preparedness of Britain’s creaking public services.
The human cost is mounting. In Germany, at least 10 people died in a single day near Hanover, with authorities describing “an unprecedented public health emergency”. Across the Rhine, France reported 56 deaths in the Paris region alone. In the Netherlands, where the official death count stands at 180, the government has mobilised the army to distribute water and check on isolated pensioners.
Investigators are now probing whether the energy sector bears responsibility for exacerbating the crisis. Leaked internal memos from a major German utility company show they lobbied to delay emission reduction targets, arguing that “economic growth takes precedence”. The same company’s fossil fuel plants near Lingen were operating at full capacity during the peak of the heatwave, contributing to localised temperature rises.
The scientific consensus is damning: without rapid decarbonisation, such heatwaves will become the norm. Professor Julia Slingo, former chief scientist at the Met Office, told this reporter that “the UK is not ready for a world where 40C is routine”. Yet the government’s net zero strategy remains mired in internal disputes, with the Treasury reportedly blocking funding for resilience measures.
This is not a natural disaster. This is a slow-motion crisis engineered by decades of regulatory failure and corporate greed. The bodies are piling up, and the suits in boardrooms and Whitehall should be held accountable.
As I write this, the temperature in London has just hit 38.5C. The red warning remains in place until Wednesday. Brace yourselves. The worst is yet to come.
