PARIS/MADRID, Jun 23 (Reuters) – Forty people have drowned in France in recent days as they tried to cool off in record heat, the prime minister said on Tuesday, as a heat wave grips much of Europe.
The United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland and Spain are also facing extreme heat, with record temperatures in some regions hampering the functioning of schools and transport networks.
Europe is warming at a rate more than twice the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organization, making these prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.
HEAT ALERT ACROSS FRANCE
Much of France is under a severe heat warning and is expected to record temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius this Tuesday, Meteo France reported, with temperatures of up to 43 °C forecast in some regions in the west of the country.
The country has just recorded its hottest afternoon and night since records began in 1947. Fifty-four departments are under red alert, which meteorologists say is unprecedented.
Across France, people have been jumping into canals and rivers to cool off. French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said she understood the need to escape the heat, but warned against swimming in unauthorized or dangerous areas.
Speaking before an emergency meeting on the heatwave, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said: “A sad scourge as far as drownings are concerned, as the latest figures we have just received show 40 deaths since June 18, most of them young people.”
On Monday, rescue teams were unable to resuscitate two children, aged 2 and 4, who were found unconscious by their mother in the family car, in front of the house, said a prosecutor in Carpentras, southeastern France.
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BUSINESS ACTIVITY SLOWS DOWN
In Paris, passengers face sweltering heat after sleepless nights in apartments poorly equipped for the heat. Some trains were cancelled, including between Paris and Brussels.
Business leaders said the economy was also being affected.
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“France is operating at a slow pace. Companies, as far as possible, are implementing recommendations to protect their employees,” MEDEF President Patrick Martin told BFM TV.
The heat wave in Europe is caused by a weather pattern known as “omega lockdown”, as it takes the shape of a Greek letter, with a mass of warm air in the middle and cooler air on both sides, causing temperatures to rise day by day.
Heat waves and storms are intensifying due to climate change, raising temperatures even further and causing more rain.
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Meteo France said current conditions are comparable to the August 2003 heatwave, which lasted 16 days and resulted in around 80,000 more deaths across Europe, according to the EU. It is not known for sure how long the current episode will last.
In Italy, the Ministry of Health issued the highest level alert for 15 cities, and authorities took measures to restrict activities in some sectors. Storms are expected later this Tuesday over the Alps and the Apennines, bringing heavy rain, gusts of wind and hail.
The UK is also in the grip of heat, with the Met Office predicting temperatures of up to 37C in southern England this Tuesday — potentially a new record for June — before rising further on Wednesday and Thursday.
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In London, nighttime storms – part of the same unstable weather pattern – caused more disruption, including at Heathrow Airport.
