Western Europe lived through its hottest June on record in 2026, EU scientists say, with the extreme heat reaching Luxembourg through red warnings, a river water-extraction ban and plans for a new mobile social-emergency service.
As a heatwave drove Luxembourg's rivers to critical oxygen levels, EU data and LIST research underline a stark reality: almost none of the country's waterways meet the 'good' ecological status the EU requires by 2027.
Solar power became the single largest source of electricity generated inside Luxembourg in 2025, overtaking wind, according to figures from the regulator ILR. Photovoltaic output rose 74.3% to 627 GWh, but imports still met roughly 72% of national consumption, underlining how far the country remains from its 2030 renewables goals.
Luxembourg lifted its red heat warning on Sunday morning after a punishing week, as an extreme heatwave linked to a stalled high-pressure system toppled records across western and central Europe, killed hundreds and forced authorities to reorganise schools, building sites and emergency services.
Playwright and novelist Ian de Toffoli has won the 2026 Prix Servais, Luxembourg's most prominent literary award, for 'Léa ou la théorie des systèmes complexes', a climate-themed novel published by Actes Sud.
An exceptionally early heatwave drove France to record temperatures and put more than half the country under red alert, while Luxembourg and the wider Greater Region stood up a crisis command post and warned the heat would intensify from Wednesday.
Luxembourg's weather service has raised its alert to the highest level for an extreme heatwave forecast to push local temperatures toward 40°C, triggering a coordinated state response as France, Spain and the UK also swelter under a persistent heat dome.
Luxembourg will raise its heat warning to red from midday Monday, 22 June, as a Europe-wide heatwave pushes temperatures toward 40°C, disrupts the Luxembourg-Metz railway and tests emergency services on the eve of National Day.