Forty people have drowned in France in the past few days while trying to cool off and escape the record-breaking heat, the Prime Minister said today, while a heat wave gripped a large part of Europe.
The UK, Italy, Switzerland and Spain were also sweltering in extreme heat, with record temperatures in some regions disrupting school classes and transport networks.
Europe is warming more than twice as fast as the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organization, making such extended periods of heat increasingly likely.
France under red alert
A large part of France is under a serious heat warning, and temperatures are expected to reach around 40 degrees Celsius today, Meteo France announced. In some parts of western France, temperatures of up to 43 degrees are expected.
The country just recorded its warmest afternoon and warmest night since measurements began in 1947. Fifty-four departments are under a red weather alert, which forecasters described as an unprecedented situation.
Across France, people jump into canals and rivers to cool off. French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said she understood the need to escape the heat, but warned against swimming in unapproved or dangerous areas.
Speaking ahead of an emergency meeting on the heatwave, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecourny said: “A sad scourge when it comes to drownings, as the latest figures just given to us show 40 deaths since June 18, mostly among young people.”
On Monday, rescuers failed to resuscitate two children, aged two and four, whose mother found them unconscious in the family car in front of their home, the prosecutor in Carpentras, in southeastern France, said.
Slowing down of business activity
In Paris, travelers struggled through the sultry conditions, after sleepless nights in apartments poorly equipped for the heat. Some trains have been cancelled, including those between Paris and Brussels.
Business leaders said the economy is also suffering the consequences.
“France is working slowly. Companies, as much as possible, are implementing the recommendations to protect their employees,” Patrick Marten, head of the French employers’ association MEDEF, told BFM TV.
Hot dome
The heat wave in Europe is triggering a weather pattern known as an omega block, because it’s shaped like the Greek letter omega: a bulge of hot air in the middle, with cooler air on either side, allowing temperatures to rise day by day.
Meteo France said current conditions were comparable to the August 2003 heat wave, which lasted 16 days and led to an estimated 80,000 additional deaths across Europe, according to EU figures. It is not certain how long the current wave will last.
Storms are part of unstable weather conditions
In Italy, the Ministry of Health issued the highest level of warning for 15 cities, and the authorities took measures to limit work in certain sectors. Storms are expected later Tuesday over the Alps and Apennines, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and hail.
Britain is also being hit by the heat, with the Met Office forecasting temperatures of up to 37C in southern England on Tuesday – potentially a new June record – before further rises tomorrow and Thursday.
Dozens of schools plan to close early, citing that the buildings are not adapted to the heat.
Transport networks across Europe have come under pressure. British Rail has warned commuters to travel only if necessary later this week as temperatures approach 39 degrees and speed restrictions are likely to disrupt services.
In London, overnight thunderstorms, part of the same volatile weather pattern, caused further disruption, including at Heathrow Airport.
Air-conditioned shelters
The Spanish Meteorological Agency has issued red warnings for parts of the country, warning of dangerous heat, with temperatures expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius. The night didn’t bring much relief either, since around 30 measuring stations still recorded temperatures above 25 degrees early yesterday.
Madrid has opened air-conditioned shelters for vulnerable people, including the homeless. The shelters will “provide an air-conditioned space, offer basic food, allow visitors to shower and give them the opportunity to rest for a while,” said Juan Carlos Arellano of the Madrid-based Samur Social service.
Dozens of municipalities across northern Spain have canceled traditional bonfires due to the risk of fire, showing how extreme temperatures are disrupting both cultural traditions and everyday activities.
In Belgium, a sudden rise in temperature forced a primary school in Tervuren, near Brussels, to move final exams to a nearby church.
In Switzerland, the northeastern canton of St. Gallen has restricted water withdrawals from rivers and lakes, citing low surface and groundwater levels and high temperatures.
It is colder in the north
While southern Europe is frying, fresher destinations in the north attract tourists looking for a vacation in cooler regions.
“We were thinking of traveling to Croatia, but we came to Sweden because it’s cooler here,” said German tourist Katarina Rexing in the old part of Stockholm, on a day when it was 22 degrees in the Swedish capital, and 30 degrees in Zagreb, Croatia.
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