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.

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,".

[11] Prior to 18 June, a temperature of 30.0 °C (86.0 °F) 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.

[11] On 22 June, temperatures of 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) or higher were recorded at eight stations in the Ubimet network, reaching 36.2 °C (97.2 °F) in Bad Goisern am Hallstättersee.

[14] During the week starting on 17 July, heavy thunderstorms kept forming in western and southern Austria on a daily basis.

[19] Temperatures in Cyprus neared 45 °C (113 °F) inland during the heatwave, with even elevated mountainous areas such as the Troodos region reaching a record-breaking 36 °C (97 °F).

[32] On 14 July 2023, the World Meteorological Organization station in Thiva registered 44.2 °C (111.6 °F) making it the highest temperature in the country for that day.

[40] On 20 July 2023, a delivery driver in Chalcis died from cardiac arrest, a few hours after he ended his shift.

[41][42] On 22 July 2023, Kato Tithorea registered 44.2 °C (111.6 °F) making it the highest temperature in the country for that day,[43] while the World Meteorological Organization station in Lefkohori recorded 44.1 °C (111.4 °F).

[49] On 26 July 2023, the World Meteorological Organization station in Agia Triada recorded 46.1 °C (115.0 °F) making it the highest temperature in the country for that day.

[50][51] Throughout the prolonged heat wave, wildfires devastated parts of the country, killing at least 28 people,[52] mostly in the Athens metropolitan area and Rhodes.

[62] Tourists throughout the country were also observed to suffer from heat stroke, with a British visitor fainting at the Colosseum.

[63] It is also expected that an anticyclone dubbed "Charon" originating from North Africa may raise the temperature to above 45 °C (113 °F) in parts of Italy early in the week beginning 17 July.

The heat was infernal and unbearable for practically the entire month, so much that July 2023 was the hottest month of July in Sicily so far: some stations in the Sicilian inland regions such as those of Caltanissetta and Enna recorded 11 consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104 °F), as reported by the regional office SIAS (Sicilian agrometeorological information service).

[72] On 13 July, temperatures of 28.8 °C (83.8 °F) were observed at northern Norway's Slettnes Lighthouse, breaking a record previously held for 80 years.

A second heat wave arrived after 12 July, with temperatures reaching 39 Celsius degrees, prompting Romanian authorities to issue yellow and orange alerts.

[78][79] On 10 July, several stations in the ARSO network recorded temperatures between 33 °C (91 °F) and 35 °C (95 °F), reaching as high as 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) in Osilnica, as well as 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) in both Bilje and Podnanos.

Also in Wallonia and North Rhine-Westphalia there was flooding due to the rainstorms, with 60-100 millimeters near Plombières and Mönchengladbach.

[142] In late June and mid-July, the combination of daytime temperatures of 35 to 40 °C (95 to 104 °F) and high humidity led to formation of a series of uncommonly strong, supercell storms in the area ranging from Slovenia to Romania.

In Croatia, the storm also broke windows in Varaždin and tore roofs off several houses in Međimurje.

[144][145] On 13 July, one such storm travelled 1,100 km (680 mi), producing hail throughout its distance with stones up to 14 centimetres (5.5 in) in diameter in Krško, Slovenia, and a wind speed in excess of 100 km/h (62 mph; 28 m/s) in Zrenjanin, Serbia.

[146] On 19 July, a particularly strong supercell caused extreme wind damage in Slovenia and northern Croatia.

[149][150][151][152] A state-operated automated weather station near Županja, Croatia recorded a 180 km/h (110 mph; 50 m/s) wind gust.

[153] In the afternoon of 21 July, a similar storm travelled over northern Croatia, dealing the brunt of its damage in Istria and Rijeka, where seven people were injured and one was missing.

It subsequently hit Zagreb with wind gusts up to 80 km/h (50 mph; 22 m/s), downing more trees, stopping tram traffic, and damaging the Croatian Parliament building among others.

[147] In Novi Sad, a well-known celtis australis in the city centre, more than 150 years old and a first-class listed natural heritage object, was obliterated, with its trunk shattered.

[157] On 24 July, a particularly strong supercell storm caused extreme wind damage in Lombardy, Veneto and all northern Italy.

In the first week of August, a cut-off low led to torrential rains in excess of 100–200 mm (4–8 in) and flooding in Slovenia and parts of Croatia and Austria.

In Drnje, Croatia, near the confluence of Mura and Drava, a century-old record was broken by more than half a metre (2 ft).