Cerberus Heatwave

In 2023, Europe had been affected by heat waves. The most significant of which was the named heat wave, Cerberus Heatwave, which brought the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe. Starting on 10 July 2023, the record-breaking Cerberus anticyclone affected many European countries, with the effects felt most severely in parts of Southeast and Southwest Europe such as Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Spain. The private Italian weather website iLMeteo named the extreme weather event after the hound of Hades from Greek mythology, and although some reports link the naming to the Italian Meteorological Society, the society's president said that they "absolutely don’t use it".

Several regional temperature records were broken, and the heatwave prompted health warnings and government action in several countries.

According to the British Met Office, 2023 was expected to have more intense heatwaves than those experienced in 2022. In June, the European Environment Agency warned that schools and hospitals were at risk of high temperatures.

Background

On 1 January 2023, at least eight European countries recorded their warmest January day ever: Liechtenstein, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Belarus, Lithuania, Denmark and Latvia. This was attributed to climate change.

Scientists have attributed the 2023 heat waves to human-made climate change. During each day in July 2023, two billion people experience heat conditions made at least three times more likely due to climate change and 6.5 billion people experienced this impact at least one day in this month. The heatwaves caused severe damage in southern US, Southern Europe, South and southeast Asia.

Heatwaves becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change are a big problem for Europe. The heatwaves in the year 2003 killed 70,000 people, while in the record breaking summer of 2022, 61,672 people died. The mortality was 56% higher among women in comparison to men. The countries with the highest rates of mortality were Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal. According to one climate researcher Hicham Achebak: "The fact that more than 61,600 people in Europe died of heat stress in the summer of 2022, even though, unlike in 2003, many countries already had active prevention plans in place, suggests that the adaptation strategies currently available may still be insufficient,". In the future heat related mortality can be significantly higher. According to NASA senior scientist Katherine Calvin: "Future warming depends on future emissions".

By country

Albania

Albania set its all-time high temperature record at in Kuçovë.

Austria

On 18 June, temperatures above were recorded at eight stations in the Ubimet network, reaching in Bludenz and marking the beginning of a heat wave that was expected to peak on 22 June. Prior to 18 June, a temperature of was not recorded at any official station in Austria since the beginning of 2023, marking the country's latest first occurrence of the value in a calendar year since 1990. On 22 June, temperatures of or higher were recorded at eight stations in the Ubimet network, reaching in Bad Goisern am Hallstättersee.

The second heat wave of 2023 was expected to affect Austria between 10 July and 13 July, with maximum temperatures of up to predicted to occur during the first two days. After two days of heavy thunderstorms, temperatures in excess of were expected to return on 14 July and reach as high as in areas north of the Alps on 15 July. During the week starting on 17 July, heavy thunderstorms kept forming in western and southern Austria on a daily basis. They were especially intense in Styria and Carinthia, and also affected parts of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.

Belgium

On 12 June 2023, officials issued a heat wave health warning.
The highest temperature was measured on 8 July in Westmalle when it reached .

Bulgaria

Temperatures in Bulgaria reached during the Cerberus heat wave. Temperatures stayed above for more than 2 weeks.

Croatia

Temperatures reached by 13 July, sparking a significant wildfire near Šibenik.

Cyprus

Temperatures in Cyprus neared inland during the heatwave, with even elevated mountainous areas such as the Troodos region reaching a record-breaking . Government officials issued heat warnings and set up "heat shelters" in various cities.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic experienced the hottest day of the year so far on 15 July. In several places, it was above , the warmest in Plzeň-Bolevec and Řež near Prague, where temperatures reached . Nearly 100 of the 160 or so stations measuring 30 years or more recorded temperature highs for 15 July.

France

By 1 June 2023, 50 departments of France were under orange vigilance and 24 under yellow vigilance. At least 80 heat-related deaths were recorded from 7–13 July.
The highest temperature was measured on 23 August in Toulouse, when it reached . A report released by Public Health France on February 8, 2024, confirmed that 5,167 people died due to the heat during the summer in France in 2023.

Germany

Germany saw warmer than usual temperatures. The German government has promised a plan to prevent heatwave deaths. On 22 June, temperatures rose to 35.7 °C during the nations first heatwave of 2023. A second period of high temperatures in early July lead the temperatures to rise to 38 °C on 9 July. On 15 July the temperature reached 38.8 °C in Möhrendorf-Kleinseebach.

On 20 July, the Robert Koch Institute estimated that at least 830 heat-related excess deaths occurred in the country between 10 April and 9 July.

Greece

On 14 July 2023, the World Meteorological Organization station in Thiva registered making it the highest temperature in the country for that day. On the same day Athens recorded in the suburb of Filothei. Officials in Athens announced midday closure of the Acropolis. On 15 July 2023, the National Observatory of Athens station in Elafonisi also recorded a maximum temperature of .National Observatory of Athens