A heatwave across Europe has resulted in dozens of deaths, strained emergency services, and led to numerous event cancellations and public health alerts. France's sports minister Marina Ferrari stated that at least 55 people had drowned across France.

Ferrari said, "By yesterday night we were at 55, but we fear that the situation may worsen." The number of deaths in France attributed to the heatwave includes four toddlers. An 18-month-old child died in emergency care in Marseille after being found in a car in a state of hyperthermia. A police source told the newspaper Le Figaro it was believed the father of the 18-month-old may have forgotten his son in the vehicle. Additionally, a three-year-old boy in a Paris suburb died after becoming trapped in a car, and the bodies of two children, aged two and four, were discovered in their family's car in a residential car park in France.

In the United Kingdom, the Met Office reported that the record for the hottest June day had been broken for the third consecutive day. Provisional figures indicated a temperature of 37.3C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, on Friday. A Met Office red alert for heat remained in place for London and south-east England for a third day, with an amber alert covering most of central and eastern England. The UK Health Security Agency's red heat-health alert was extended until 11 p.m. on Friday, covering all of southern and central England, and an amber heat-health alert was in effect for all of England until 9 a.m. on Sunday. Several UK hospitals have declared critical incidents, and over 1,000 schools across the UK were closed or partially shut during the week. Train passengers in the UK were advised to avoid non-essential travel on Friday, and many railway operators ran reduced or slower services.

Fires also occurred, with firefighters continuing to manage a wildfire in Derbyshire affecting about 200 hectares. A hosepipe ban in Kent became effective on Friday morning, as South East Water indicated increased demand. Britain's energy operator raised concerns over power supplies needed for air conditioning and fans on Thursday. The London Ambulance Service recorded its highest number of life-threatening emergencies on Wednesday. Patrice Faure, the Paris police chief, announced a ban on drinking takeaway alcohol in the street, stating, "We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities."

Patrick Pelloux, the head of the Association of French Emergency Doctors, said there had been 55 deaths under the care of emergency health services in Paris in 24 hours. "Fifty-five is enormous," Pelloux stated. "Normally it's three or four over 24 hours." Temperatures in Paris reached a June record of 40.9C on Wednesday. Organisers of Paris Pride announced they would postpone the event, likely until September. The Pride march in Lyon and the Solidays music festival were also called off. In Belgium, a re-enactment of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo was canceled. In the Netherlands, officials issued their first-ever red alert for heat, and organizers canceled the four-day techno music festival Defqon 1. In Germany, extreme heat caused the surface of the A2 motorway to buckle and rupture over several lanes on Thursday. Scientists stated that the heatwave was unusually severe and widespread, attributing the extreme temperatures to the climate crisis.