Heatwave expected to push Germany and Poland to 40C

A heatwave will push temperatures dramatically higher across parts of central and northern Europe this weekend, with Germany and Poland forecast to reach or exceed 40C on Saturday and Sunday. Days earlier, large areas of France experienced similar extremes. The Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg has declared a heat hazard, the first race to do so this season; race-day temperatures are expected to climb into the low 30s Celsius, almost 10C warmer than usual for the venue.

The intense heat has coincided with severe thunderstorms elsewhere. In the Sverdlovsk region of central Russia, a strong tornado on the evening of 22 June — rated 3 out of 5 on the international Fujita scale — injured 16 people and destroyed or damaged about 100 homes and businesses in the town of Kushva, leaving emergency services working to restore power.

Tornadoes are rare in Russia but forecasters say they may become more common as the climate breaks down, and storm warnings remained in effect in the country's south on Friday.

Germany, Poland, France, Austria, Russia, Spielberg, Sverdlovsk, Kushva

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