Extreme heat in much of Europe has broken June record temperatures from the Arctic Circle to North Africa. The fierce heatwave has caused temperatures to rise well above the June average in many countries, in some cases up to 20 degrees. Norway recorded a temperature of 32.5 degrees Celsius in Banak on Wednesday, reportedly the highest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic Circle in Europe, and significantly higher than the June 13 average of 13 degrees Celsius. Poland saw temperatures reach mid-1930s on Monday, and parts of East Germany saw several locations reach 37 degrees Celsius. A truck sprays a curtain of water to help people cool off in a square in Warsaw, Poland June’s temperature records were also broken in Slovenia and Croatia, while Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded temperatures 0.2 degrees below the June record of 41 degrees Celsius. Excessive heat also spread to North Africa, where temperatures in Tunisia equaled a monthly record of 48.7 C on Monday. Elsewhere in Europe, a blizzard triggered a catastrophic mud landslide in southern Austria, killing one person and flooding homes and roads in the Carinthia region. The Austrian city of Treffen is covered in mud after heavy rains caused landslides Further thunderstorms are expected later in the week, with catastrophic hailstorms, torrential rains and gale-force winds.
