Exceptionally Early Heat Wave Shatters Records And Brings Deaths In Europe
LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom broke a century-old temperature record for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday as a spring heatwave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe, prompting the government to warn about risks to life. Many drownings were reported in England and France as people tried to calm down.
Britain’s Met Office weather service said a temperature of 35.1 Celsius (95.2 Fahrenheit) was recorded at London’s Kew Gardens, breaking the record of 34.8 C (94.6 F) set at Kew the day before. Provisional readings broke the long-standing record of 32.8 C (91.4 F), set in 1922 and matched in 1944.
London also recorded a rare “tropical night” in which the temperature did not drop below 20 C (68 F).
Records also fell in France, where temperatures reached 36 C (97 F) in the southwestern part of the country on Monday and generally remained above 20 C at night.
National weather service Météo-France said a “heat dome” where heat was held in place by a high-pressure air front was producing temperatures 10 degrees Celsius above normal for this time of year.
Unpredictable and extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent Earth is warming. Unprecedented and deadly extreme weather conditions, sometimes occurring at abnormal times and in unusual places, are putting more people in danger, experts say.
“We know beyond any doubt that heat wave events Peter Thorne, director of the ICARUS Climate Research Center at Maynooth University in Ireland, said: “Such events have become more likely and more severe due to climate change from our heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions. But still, many of the records being broken, particularly in the UK and France, are mind-bogglingly crazy.”
After a long weekend in the United Kingdom, where people flocked to beaches, pools and shady parks, London commuters were swamped in unair-conditioned tube carriages on Tuesday. Train services to and from the busy Waterloo station were disrupted due to smoke from the tracks.
Firefighters in Scotland worked through the night to extinguish a grass fire that was billowing smoke from Arthur’s Seat, the rocky hill that towers over Edinburgh.
The UK Health Safety Agency has issued a yellow health alert for much of the country until Thursday, warning of a potential health risk among older people, particularly during the hottest hours of the day. The UK is used to moderate temperatures, and many homes, schools and workplaces do not have air conditioning.
At least four teenagers have drowned in lakes and reservoirs across England, and a 60-year-old man died at sea in southwest England, authorities said.
French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said at least seven deaths potentially linked to high temperatures had been reported, five by drowning and two at sporting events.
An early heat wave has hit ahead of the annual summer season, when lifeguards keep watch on swimmers at popular beaches, raising the risks.
On France’s Atlantic coast, where gorgeous beaches have strong tides, authorities reported surf emergencies and two people drowned Sunday at popular resorts in the southwestern Gironde region.
The area’s chief executive, Sophie Brocas, urged beachgoers to “exercise extreme caution”.
The unseasonably warm weather has also spread to Spain, with weather spokesman Rubén del Campo saying: “We now find ourselves in May with temperatures we normally see in mid-summer.”
Temperatures reached 38 C (100 F) in Seville over the weekend, he said, while large parts of the Iberian Peninsula saw temperatures 5 to 10 degrees Celsius higher than normal.
In Rome, temperatures were expected to reach 32 degrees C (89.6 F) on Tuesday.
Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris and Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain contributed to this report.
