Much of France is experiencing scorching temperatures. Many cities exceeded 38 degrees Celsius on 30/6, prompting authorities to issue a red alert—the highest level—in 16 provinces, including Paris. Eiffel Tower management announced the temporary closure of the top floor to visitors on 1/7 and 2/7, urging people to limit outdoor activities, stay hydrated, and use sun protection.
"We apologize for this inconvenience," a notice on the tower's website stated.
In Spain, the town of El Granado recorded 46 degrees Celsius on 29/6, a June record, according to Spain's national weather agency AEMET. Spain had already experienced its hottest June on record. In Portugal, the city of Mora, about 130 km east of Lisbon, also reached 46.6 degrees Celsius, a preliminary figure that could become a new national record for June.
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Tourists use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun while visiting the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France on 30/6. Photo: AFP |
Tourists use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun while visiting the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France on 30/6. Photo: AFP
In the UK, where fewer than 5% of households have air conditioning, people are also enduring the second heatwave of the summer. Temperatures in many areas surpassed 32 degrees Celsius on 30/6, a level typically seen only in mid-July or August.
The combination of a strong heat dome and a marine heatwave in the Mediterranean Sea is driving the record-breaking early summer temperatures in Europe. Meteorologists say sea surface temperatures in the region are about 9 degrees Celsius above average, particularly intense in southern France. The unusually warm water not only increases humidity further north but also retains heat overnight, giving affected areas little time to cool down.
The marine heatwave also intensifies land temperatures, creating a dangerous feedback loop between hot air blowing from Africa and the heated sea. Millions of Europeans are facing heat stress.
In addition to soaring temperatures, several areas face a significant risk of wildfires. In France, a forest fire in the Aude region in the southwest burned nearly 160 hectares on 30/6. In Turkey, around 50,000 people were evacuated as fires spread in the western provinces of Izmir and Manisa.
Experts warn that human-caused climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, longer, and more intense. Europe is currently the fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at twice the global average. This phenomenon is also making marine heatwaves, once rare, increasingly common and extreme.
Anh Minh (CNN)
