Maybe that’s an obvious observation but I would have expected they had a little more operating range right at the point you need them.
Heat waves indeed kill equipment. The system is attempting to deal with a higher heat load on the home/conditioned space, while also having to operate with high(er) ambient temperatures.
High ambient temps -> High heat load -> warm(er) return refrigerant temps/high(er) refrigerant pressures -> less cooling for compressor / higher mechanical load on compressor -> Elevated power consumption as compressor is working harder -> higher power/heat levels stress electrical insulation & components.
The system struggles to keep up as the duty cycle is elevated as well. Putting a sprinkler next to the condensor (outside) unit is a hack.
However, water companies have been telling people to reduce water usage during the heat wave since demand is higher than usual, so this may not be a great idea.
Your fridge, rather than being the 5C it should be to keep your meat safe to eat, might have been up at 12C. You wouldn't be aware (it still feels cold), but you'd end up eating possibly dangerous food.
I really wish fridges had an alarm in that case (ie. The fridge has an indicator saying 'too hot. Food is now unsafe to eat').
There are also stickers for inside your fridge that can indicate the temperature. There is also a variant for specific temperatures, like 0, 5 or 7 degrees, that colorize if the temperature has risen, giving a (non-reversible) indication your fridge has been too warm.
Edit:
Did a quick search for you: https://www.tiptemp.com/Products/Rising-Time-Temperature-Ind...
EDIT: sibling comments about irreversible temperature monitors are also a great idea I hadn’t thought of! Time to buy some of those too