Hungary and Slovakia set national heat records as France counts more than 2,000 heat deaths

Hungary and Slovakia set national temperature records in a central European heat wave, at 42 degrees Celsius and 41.3 degrees. Some towns imposed water restrictions, and tankers supplied places running short of water. The records were national highs, not a single city anecdote.

French health authorities said more than 2,025 people in France died in heat waves between June 22 and June 28. Belgium reported a 39 percent increase in deaths compared with the week before, and France a 29.1 percent increase, for June heat. The National Weather Service placed 23 states in the eastern and central United States under heat warnings.

Around 25 deaths were reported in United States heat, with 40 million people under heat alerts on the East Coast, the Southeast, and the Southwest. Those American figures were smaller than France's late-June toll and still part of the same hot period. Alerts and deaths were both reported.

The previous week's records in France, Britain, Spain, and Switzerland were the start of the same pattern. This week's additions were the Hungarian and Slovak national records, the French death count above 2,000 for that late-June window, and the water restrictions. Beznau's cooling shutdown had already shown rivers warm enough to idle a plant.

Heat is an environment story and a health story at once. The temperatures are the environmental measure. The deaths are the human measure. Both were published.

No combined Europe-wide death toll beyond the national notes was given in these reports. France's figure of more than 2,025, Belgium's percentage increase, and the 42 and 41.3 degree records are the specifics. Water restrictions in central Europe were the practical response described.