More than 150mil in Europe set for temperatures over 35C on Friday

More than 150 million people across Europe will experience temperatures exceeding 35C on Friday, according to AFP calculations. This includes populations primarily in France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. A broader area of approximately 350 million people, excluding Turkey, will face temperatures of at least 30C, representing roughly three-fifths of Europe's inhabitants. These figures are derived from a combination of German weather service forecasts and 2025 population projections from the Joint Research Centre.

Repeated heatwaves and drought have intensified this summer on the continent, leading to thousands of deaths in countries accustomed to milder climates. Climate scientists attribute the escalating frequency and severity of heatwaves to human-induced climate change. The most extreme heat is anticipated in western and southern Europe, regions that endured similar conditions on Thursday.

Regions of mainland France, home to 46 million people, are set to see temperatures surpass 35C. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, previously less impacted, are now bracing for 35C heat. Over 10 million Belgians, or almost nine out of ten residents, will experience scorching temperatures, alongside 34 million Germans in western regions and 12 million in the Netherlands.

The UK is expected to remain above 30C in the southeast on Friday, with cooler conditions forecast for the rest of the country. In southern Europe, Spain will experience temperatures above 35C in areas housing 24 million people, while Italy will see similar conditions across regions with 18 million inhabitants. These calculations utilize a method similar to Austrian NGO Klimadashboard, cross-referencing population density with the German national meteorological service's forecast model, which has a resolution of about 6.5 km.

However, the analysis may underestimate the number of affected individuals in densely populated urban areas due to the model's inability to fully account for urban heat-island effects.