Europe's record heatwave spawns severe storms from France to Poland

Thunderstorms with hailstones up to 7 cm damaged homes, vehicles, and vineyards in south-eastern France, while flooding submerged Wrocław, Poland, on July 15–17. Scientists describe the heatwave behind these storms as Europe's worst on record. It began June 20, 2026, has been linked to dozens of deaths, and brought western Europe its warmest June on record, per the Copernicus Climate Change Service.