Dozens of people have already died in Europe due to extreme heat
Europe is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, which has already led to dozens of human casualties and serious problems in several countries, writes The Guardian.
Illustrative photo. Photo: magnific.com
In France, about 40 people have drowned since the start of the extreme heatwave. The country's Prime Minister, Sebastian Lecornu, called the situation a tragedy and convened an emergency meeting.
June 23 became the hottest day in the entire history of meteorological observations in France: the air temperature reached +44.3°C. The highest level of meteorological danger has been declared in more than fifty departments.
Due to high temperatures, restrictions were introduced on the operation of famous tourist attractions. The Eiffel Tower closed earlier for visitors, and the Louvre reduced its operating hours. Authorities recommended residents of the Île-de-France region to work remotely if possible and to use public transport less.
The heat also affected the energy sector. At the Golfech nuclear power plant in southwestern France, one of the reactors was shut down because its cooling water heated above a safe level.
According to French meteorologists, the abnormally hot weather will continue until the end of the week. The reason is attributed to the slow movement of hot air masses from the Sahara Desert.
A difficult situation is also observed in other European countries. In the UK, temperatures are expected to rise to +40 °C, leading to a red heat warning, and some schools have closed early.
In Italy, a red alert level has been introduced in 15 cities, including Rome and Milan. Due to the massive use of air conditioners, power outages are occurring in some regions. In Parma alone, over a thousand people sought medical help in three days due to the effects of high temperatures.
In Germany, the number of accidents at water bodies significantly increased over the past weekend. According to official data, at least five people have died.
In Spain, warnings for extreme heat are in effect across almost the entire country. Temperatures of +40°C and above were recorded at more than a hundred weather stations. In the province of Almería, temperatures have not dropped below +30°C for several nights in a row.