World News for Students of English

30-06-2026 07:00

An exceptional June heatwave has shattered temperature records across Europe and affected at least 150 million people with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius.

Germany recorded its highest temperature ever at 41.3 degrees in Saarbrücken, while cities like Bordeaux experienced their hottest days on record. The extreme weather has forced French authorities to cancel major public events, including music festivals and Paris Pride, and limit public alcohol consumption due to severe health risks. In the Netherlands, the weather service issued its first-ever red alert as intense heat partially suspended public transport because electric buses couldn’t charge.

Meteorologists explain that a massive heat dome, an area of high pressure, is trapping and compressing hot air coming from the south, and that prevents temperatures from dropping even at night. While western areas are beginning to cool down slightly, the dangerous high-pressure system is currently sweeping further east toward Switzerland, Austria, Poland, and Hungary.

Difficult words: shatter (to beat or break an old record by a very big margin), red alert (the highest level of an official warning), suspend (to stop an activity, service, or law officially for a short period of time).

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