Czech news in brief for June 28: Sunday's top morning headlines

Good morning, and welcome to your Sunday news roundup.

Czechia is in the grip of an historic heatwave, with temperatures in several locations surpassing 40 degrees Celsius and a new national record being set on Saturday. Meteorologists warn that the extreme heat is continuing into Sunday, with additional records still possible.

Urban areas such as Prague can be especially impacted by the heat with numerous heat islands across the capital; see a live map of the city's hottest and coolest zones below.

Czechia recorded a preliminary all-time temperature record of 40.9 degrees Celsius in Doksany, North Bohemia, on Saturday, surpassing the previous national high of 40.4 degrees set in 2012. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said the measurement must still undergo official verification.

Prague, too: Prague’s Klementinum weather station also set a new all-time high of 39.0 degreees, the hottest temperature recorded there since observations began in 1775. Meteorologists said 91 percent of long-term stations across the country matched or exceeded daily records, with Sunday forecast to bring even higher temperatures.

A Czech urban search and rescue team has arrived in Venezuela to assist after this week’s devastating earthquakes and is setting up an operational base in the disaster zone. The 70-member mission, accompanied by eight rescue dogs, departed Prague on Saturday to support search and recovery efforts.

International aid: Nineteen team members remained temporarily on Curaçao because of flight capacity limits and are awaiting transport to Venezuela. Authorities said the earthquakes have killed at least 1,430 people, injured more than 3,200, and left nearly 69,000 people missing as rescue operations continue.

Forty percent of Czechs plan to take their main holiday abroad this year, unchanged from last year, according to a survey by the NMS agency for ERGO travel insurance. Meanwhile, 32 percent plan domestic trips and 28 percent say they will not take a holiday at all, up five percentage points year on year.

Where to? The survey found most Czechs travel in July and August, with Italy, Croatia, and Greece the most popular destinations. Travel agencies reported strong early bookings this year, suggesting fewer last-minute deals compared to previous seasons.

Czechia gained 8,862 companies in the first five months of 2026, the largest increase for the period since 2017, according to an analysis by CRIF – Czech Credit Bureau. A total of 16,283 businesses were established, up 15 percent year over year, while 7,421 ceased operations.

Key details: More than half of new companies were registered in Prague, with strong growth also reported in the Central Bohemian and South Moravian regions. Trade, construction, and manufacturing saw the most new businesses, while the information and communications sector recorded a decline in new company formation.

As a record-breaking heatwave pushes temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius in Czechia, Prague’s urban heat island effect is making some districts significantly hotter than others. A temperature map of the city from Meteoblue highlights sharp differences between dense city centers and greener areas.

Prague's hot zones: Central districts such as Old Town, New Town, Smíchov, and Holešovice are among the hottest, while parks and green spaces like Petřín, Stromovka, and Olšany Cemetery remain noticeably cooler.