PARIS, France, June 29, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At least 130 million people in

Europe, mainly located in the central and eastern parts of the continent, are

set for temperatures exceeding 35C on Monday, according to AFP calculations.

This is down from more than 191 million on Sunday, and maximum temperatures

are expected to surpass 30C for over 269 million people across the continent

(excluding Turkey), down from 380 million the previous day.

The analysis is based on forecasts from the German meteorological service and

2025 population projections from the Joint Research Centre.

A vast area surrounding the Carpathian Mountains and across the Balkans --

including almost all of Hungary, as well as Serbia, Romania, Croatia,

Austria, southern Poland, and western Ukraine -- is expected to see

temperatures climb above 35C on Monday.

Around 30 million people in Italy, particularly in the densely populated Po

Valley, are expected to experience similar temperatures, while the southwest

of the Iberian peninsula, accustomed to intense heat, will also be affected.

The heat is subsiding in mainland France but health alerts remain in place,

with three million people still set for 35C temperatures.

AFP uses a method similar to that of the Austrian NGO Klimadashboard to

calculate the figures, cross-referencing population density with the weather

forecast model from the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) -- Germany's national

meteorological service -- published at 0300 GMT.

Residents are counted if the model forecasts temperatures above 30C or 35C at

their location at any point during the day.

As the model has a resolution of approximately 6.5 km it does not fully

capture urban heat-island effects, when cities are significantly warmer than

surrounding rural areas, David Jablonski of NGO Klimadashboard told AFP.

Consequently, the analysis "likely underestimates the number of people

affected in densely populated urban areas", the organisation notes on its

"European Heat Tracker" website.

BSS/AFP/SSS/1649 hrs