Extreme Heat Shatters Records Across Central and Eastern Europe

Unseasonably high temperatures have been recorded in several central- and eastern-European nations. The Slovakian hydrometeorological service reported a new high of 42 °C (108 °F) in Dolné Plachtince, while Austria logged 41.2 °C the previous day. Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic also posted national heat records earlier in the summer.

The Guardian

The heat wave has strained energy systems. In Poland, critically low water levels in the Vistula River forced the shutdown of the Kozienice and Polaniec coal-fired power plants, removing roughly 1.3 GW of capacity from the grid. Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged employers to protect staff by providing air-conditioning and cold water.

The Guardian

Dry, windy conditions have ignited extensive wildfires. The European Forest Fire Information System estimates that about half a million hectares have burned across the EU since the start of the year, primarily in Spain and France, with an additional 292,000 ha (721,000 acres) reported in Ukraine. Fire-weather severity indices are now more than twice the historical norm for this time of year in Austria, over 50 % higher in the Czech Republic, and 32 % higher in Slovakia. A rapid analysis by the World Weather Attribution consortium concluded that global warming made the recent hot, dry, and windy spell at least 20 times more likely in Spain and twice as likely in France.

The Guardian

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced on X that a turbine at the Paks nuclear plant has resumed operation and emphasized the need for voluntary electricity-saving measures. Energy experts have stressed that accelerating wind and solar deployment—technologies that require minimal water—offers the best path to safeguard both energy security and river ecosystems.

The Guardian

“This extreme heat and its consequences are the result of a fossil fuel policy that is completely irresponsible and extremely dangerous,” — Annkatrin Schwirten

The Guardian