Southern European countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and France are experiencing their first extreme heatwave of the summer.
"Extreme heat in Europe is no longer the exception, it has become the new normal," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on 30/6.
In Portugal, the highest June temperature was recorded in Mora, about 100 km east of Lisbon, at 46.6℃. Officials are verifying if this is the highest June temperature ever recorded. Red alerts for extreme heat have been issued in 18 regions.
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People in Spain transport fans in Barcelona. Photo: Reuters |
People in Spain transport fans in Barcelona. Photo: Reuters
In Italy, 21 out of 27 cities were under the highest heat alert last weekend. Hospital admissions in the hottest regions, like Tuscany, increased by 20%. Residents were advised to stay indoors between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
For the first time, French authorities issued a heat alert for nearly the entire mainland. Meteo France placed 88% of administrative regions under an orange alert, the second highest heat warning level.
"This is unprecedented," Ecology Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said. The government asked businesses to adjust working hours. Over 200 construction sites will be fully or partially closed until the end of today.
Spain, considered to have the most extreme weather, recorded its highest-ever June temperature of 46℃ in El Granado, Huelva province, last weekend. The previous June record was 45.2℃, set in Seville in 1965.
June 29 was also considered the hottest day in Spanish history since Aemet, the national weather agency, began recording data in 1950.
Scorching days and sweltering nights are expected in many southern cities for the next three days. Health officials warned that all-day heat can cause "deadly" stress on the body.
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People cool off in front of a misting fan in Rome, Italy. Photo: Reuters |
People cool off in front of a misting fan in Rome, Italy. Photo: Reuters
High temperatures have also forced some countries to increase wildfire-fighting personnel. Turkey’s Interior Ministry said more than 50,000 people were evacuated due to early-season wildfires.
Countries further north also face dangers from the heat. Germany's meteorological agency said hot, dry weather is increasing the risk of wildfires. The German government advised businesses to consider the heat risk to employees in the Berlin metropolitan area, maintain reasonable indoor temperatures, and avoid excessive sun exposure for workers.
The UK is also expected to see temperatures reach 34℃ in London and the southeast. "People in urban areas like London are particularly vulnerable because concrete and asphalt absorb and radiate heat, making the impact on the body even more severe," warned Radhika Khosla, an urban climatologist at the University of Oxford.
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Temperatures across Southern Europe on 30/6. Photo: SkyNews |
Temperatures across Southern Europe on 30/6. Photo: SkyNews
Doctors across the continent are warning people to take precautions, avoid hot places, drink plenty of water, wear light clothing, and check on their neighbors regularly.
The early heatwave sweeping across Europe is a result of a "heat dome," where a mass of high pressure and hot air is trapped. This phenomenon is also causing heatwaves in the US.
"Heat domes aren't new, but the temperatures associated with them are. Europe is already 2℃ warmer than in pre-industrial times. When heat domes occur, they cause more extreme heatwaves," said Michael Byrne, a climate expert at the University of St Andrews.
Duc Trung (Guardian, Reuters, AFP)
