Forty drown in France as people seek relief from Europe’s heatwave
By Sudip Kar-Gupta and Sarah Young
PARIS/LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) – 40 people drowned in France as they tried to cool off in recent days to escape record heat, the prime minister said on Tuesday, as a heatwave ravaged much of Europe.
Britain, Italy and Spain were also suffering from extreme heat; Record temperatures in some areas were disrupting schools and transportation networks.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, making such long-lasting heat events increasingly likely.
HEAT ALARM ACROSS FRANCE
Meteo France said much of France was under severe heat alert and temperatures would be around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with temperatures expected to rise to 43 C in some parts of western France.
The country recorded its warmest afternoon and night since records began in 1947. An unprecedented fifty-four departments are on red alert, forecasters say.
All over France, people jump into canals and rivers to cool off. French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said she understood the urge to escape the heat but warned against swimming without permission or in dangerous areas.
Speaking ahead of an emergency meeting on the heatwave, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said: “It is a sad scourge when it comes to drowning, as the latest figures reported to us show 40 deaths, mostly young people, since 18 June.”
A prosecutor in Carpentras, southeastern France, said Monday that first responders were unable to resuscitate two children, ages 2 and 4, who were found unconscious by their mother in the family car outside their home.
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES SLOW DOWN
Commuters in Paris battled sweltering conditions after sleepless nights in apartments ill-equipped for heat. Some trains were cancelled, including between Paris and Brussels.
Business leaders said the economy was also taking a hit.
“France is moving at a slow pace. Businesses are implementing recommendations to protect their employees as much as possible,” Patrick Martin, head of France’s MEDEF employers’ group, told BFM TV. Due to increased demand, electric fans were out of stores in many parts of Paris.
BRITAIN, ITALY, SPAIN, BELGIUM WERE ALSO AFFECTED BY THE HEAT WAVE
The heatwave is driven by a weather pattern known as the Omega block because it takes the shape of a Greek letter, with a bulge of warm air in the middle and cooler air on either side, allowing temperatures to rise as the day goes on.
Heat waves and storms are intensifying due to climate change, rising temperatures and causing more precipitation.
In Italy, the health ministry issued its highest level warning for 15 cities and authorities took measures to reduce work. Storms are expected to bring heavy rain, gusty winds and hail over the Alps and Apennines later Tuesday.
Britain is also in the grip of the heat; The Met Office is predicting temperatures will rise as high as 37C in southern England on Tuesday (potentially a new June record), with temperatures rising further on Wednesday and Thursday.
Dozens of schools have said they will close early because older buildings are not suitable for classrooms of more than 30 children.
CLIMATE SHELTERS
Spain’s meteorological agency issued red alerts in some parts of the country, warning of dangerous temperatures with temperatures expected to reach 44 C. The warnings come after an already extreme day on Monday, including a peak of over 45C in Andujar.
Night time did not bring much relief; About 30 monitoring stations were still recording temperatures above 25C early Tuesday.
Madrid has opened climate shelters for vulnerable people, including the homeless. Juan Carlos Arellano of Samur Social in Madrid said the shelters “will provide a climate-controlled environment, offer basic food, allow visitors to shower and give them a chance to rest for a while.”
In Belgium, rising temperatures have caused final exams at a primary school in Tervuren, near Brussels, to be moved to a nearby church.
The school wrote on its Instagram account, “The classroom is very hot, so we will take the exams in the church,” and published images of students taking the exam in church chairs.
DEFINITELY IN TRANSPORTATION
Transport networks across Europe have come under pressure. Britain’s Network Rail has warned passengers to only travel if essential as temperatures approach 39C and speed restrictions are likely to disrupt services later this week.
In London, overnight storms, part of the same volatile weather conditions, caused further disruption, including to Heathrow Airport.
(Reporting by Giselada Vagnoni in Rome, Sudip Kar-Gupta in Brussels, Sarah Young in London, Emma Pinedo in Madrid, Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Ros Russell)
