Temperature records have been broken across several central and eastern European countries as extreme weather, including wildfires and droughts, continues. Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary are among the nations that have registered record temperatures.
On Thursday, the Slovakian hydrometeorological agency reported a new high of 42C (108F) in Dolné Plachtince. In Austria, a record high temperature of 41.2C was recorded on Wednesday.
In Poland, critically low water levels in the Vistula River led to the shutdown of the Kozienice and Połaniec coal-fired power plants. This disruption removed approximately 1.3GW of capacity from Poland’s power system. The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, had urged employers on Wednesday to provide air conditioning and cold water for staff.
New estimates from the Robert Koch Institute suggest that around 11,900 people in Germany have died from heat this summer. Climate activists in Germany demonstrated outside the chancellery, calling for an end to fossil fuel use and criticising the government's response to extreme heat.
The Hungarian prime minister, Péter Magyar, stated on Thursday that a turbine at the Paks nuclear power plant was operating again after being temporarily powered down. He also noted that rain was expected in Austrian catchment areas and urged voluntary reductions in electricity consumption for the day.
The severe heat and ongoing drought conditions are intensifying, with experts warning of significant pressure on local populations, critical infrastructure, and wildlife across the region. Fire weather conditions have set new records for this time of year in some countries, including Austria, Czechia, and Slovakia.