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 40–43 °C (104–109 °F), 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 40 °C (104 °F) 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 38 °C (100 °F). Although temperatures in most places subsided in August, a smaller heatwave impacted France on 12 September, with temperatures reaching 40 °C (104 °F) 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.
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 36 °C (97 °F), far higher than the average for the time of year.
Austria
On 30 June, a temperature of 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) was recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, this was also Austria's heat record for June.
On 5 August, a temperature of 36.3 °C (97.3 °F) was recorded in Austria's capital city Vienna.
Belgium
On 19 July, the temperature reached 38.1 °C (100.6 °F) in Uccle, with the highest temperature that day being 40.0 °C (104.0 °F) 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 38–39 °C (100–102 °F) in cities including Zagreb, Osijek, Karlovac, Slavonski Brod, Knin. The highest temperature of 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) was recorded in Valpovo. Temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104 °F) 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 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) in Abed, Stokkemarke Parish, Lolland Municipality, breaking the all-time temperature record for that month. Copenhagen measured its record highest temperature when it reached 35.6 °C (96.1 °F), breaking the previous 2006 record. In Vordingborg it reached 35.8 °C (96.4 °F), and stayed above 35 °C (95 °F) for 4 hours, another Danish record.
Finland
Finland was hit by the heatwaves in late June and early July. The highest temperature of 32.5 °C (90.5 °F) 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 20,800 ha (51,000 acres) 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 40 °C (104 °F) even in Brittany, which is unprecedented. It reached 42.6 °C (108.7 °F) in Biscarrosse (Landes), 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) in Cazaux (Gironde), 42.0 °C (107.6 °F) in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) in La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée), 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) in Lanmeur (Finistère) and 39.3 °C (102.7 °F) 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 40.1 °C (104.2 °F) 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 39.2 °C (102.6 °F).
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 40.1 °C (104.2 °F), 40.0 °C (104.0 °F) in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, 39.6 °C (103.3 °F) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and 39.1 °C (102.4 °F) in Schleswig-Holstein.
The highest temperature recorded on 20 July was 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) 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 42.1 °C (107.8 °F) was recorded on 23 June in Fthiotida.
Guernsey and Jersey
On 18 July, a temperature of 34.2 °C (93.6 °F) 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 37.9 °C (100.2 °F) was recorded at Maison St Louis Observatory, Jersey, the highest temperature ever recorded in Jersey.
Hungary
July heatwave
On 22 July, a temperature of 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) was reported at Újpest in Budapest, which broke the maximum temperature record for that day in the city. On 23 July, a temperature of 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) was recorded at Kiskunfélegyháza and Hódmezővásárhely, which almost broke the all-time temperature record of 41.9 °C (107.4 °F) in Hungary.
August heatwave
On 2 August, Lake Velence reached record low water levels of 58 cm (23 in) 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 35 °C (95 °F) 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 35 °C (95 °F) from 17 to 19 August. On 17 August, a temperature of 37 °C (99 °F) 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 30.1 °C (86.2 °F) 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 30 °C (86 °F) 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 32 °C (90 °F).
On 18 July, a temperature of 33.2 °C (91.8 °F) 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 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) 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 25 °C (77 °F) 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 27–29 °C (81–84 °F)". Met Éireann extended its high-temperature warning nationwide from 12 August with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) forecast.
On 12 August, a temperature of 31.7 °C (89.1 °F) 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
In Italy, the number of wildfires was three times the historical average by the end of June. Temperatures in Rome reached 40.8 °C (105.4 °F) on 28 June. On 22 July, sixteen cities including Rome were put on the red state of alert, the country's highest heatwave alert to warn of serious health risks. A glacier collapse on the mountain of Marmolada on 4 July killed eleven, and was attributed to the abnormally warm temperatures. On 5 July, a state of emergency was declared in five northern regions in response to a severe drought in the Po valley, the worst in 70 years, and later for Tuscany. In total, an estimated 18,010 excess deaths were reported due to the heat wave.
On the evening of 18 July, a large fire began in Massarosa, Lucca, which has destroyed 900 ha (2,200 acres) as of 21 July 2022, reaching the province of Pisa.
On 19 July in Trieste, there was a blackout caused by a fire in Carso.
October heatwave
From 3 October a new heat wave (first high pressure from the Azores, and then an African anticyclone) hits Italy, bringing drought back to northern Italy despite another 4 previous months of absent rains. 30 °C is exceeded in many locations.
Luxembourg
On 18 June, the temperature reached 33.8 °C (92.8 °F) in Luxembourg City.
On 19 July, it reached 36.3 °C (97.3 °F) in Luxembourg City. And 40.1 °C (104.2 °F) in Esch-sur-Alzette.
Malta
June was record warm for Malta, and the temperature reached a record high for June with 39.0 °C (102.2 °F) on 28 June.
July was also warmer than usual, and on 5 July the temperature reached 36.8 °C (98.2 °F).
Netherlands
On 18 July, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute issued a code orange heat warning for the central and southern provinces, with forecasted temperatures of 36 °C (97 °F) in central provinces and 38–39 °C (100–102 °F) in the south on 19 July. On 19 July the temperature in Maastricht reached 39.5 °C (103.1 °F).
Extreme heat is rare in the Netherlands; there have been only nine days with temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) since the start of measurement at the central weather station in 1901 (as of 18 July 2022). In 2019, the Netherlands experienced temperatures surpassing 40 °C (104 °F) for the first time in recorded history, with 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) recorded in Gilze-Rijen.
According to satellite measurements, the southernmost Belgium–Netherlands border may have reached 42 °C (108 °F), which could be the highest provisional temperature recorded in the country.
Norway
June heatwave
On 28 June, Tromsø Municipality reached 29.7 °C (85.5 °F) and Saltdal Municipality reached 31.6 °C (88.9 °F), both records for June. The village of Mehamn reached 30.8 °C (87.4 °F), higher than its previous record for June by almost 10 degrees.
July heatwave
In July, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute reported that several areas may reach temperatures higher than 30 °C (86 °F). In Stavanger, temperatures are forecasted to reach 32 °C (90 °F). In Nordland county, 20 and 21 July were forecasted to be the hottest days, with temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F). In Øst-Finnmark and Finnmarksvidda, temperatures on 21 and 22 July were predicted to reach 25 °C (77 °F). However, the Meteorological Institute does not believe that any national records will be broken.