The death toll is tragic, where an additional 1,000 deaths have been recorded due to the new virus, according to the French authorities, while experts warn that it may increase significantly.
The authorities estimate that the number of dead will rise, as the collection of data continues, outside of public structures such as nursing homes and citizens’ homes.
The effects of the extreme heat were recorded in all age groups but, according to the French public health service Santé Publique France, the vast majority of victims were people over 65 years old.
France’s health minister, Stephanie Rist, warned that the effects of the heat wave could still be felt ten days after the high temperatures subsided.
Germany is also in the target of the heat wave
The new heat wave is also hitting Germany, which recorded a national record with the thermometer reading 51.5 degrees Celsius, while the Czech Republic, Denmark and Switzerland also set record high temperatures.
In German Saxony, a nighttime temperature of 29.4°C was recorded, while similar conditions prevail in other Central European countries, depriving the human body of the ability to recover from daytime heat stress.
The heat melts the asphalt
The heatwave is also testing European infrastructure. In Germany, parts of the A2 motorway were deformed by the heat, while in areas near Hamburg the asphalt suffered cracks and lanes had to be closed.
Police even deployed water mists to cool citizens in public spaces in Berlin.
As they point out, Europe is warming faster than the global average, while heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer and more deadly. This year’s episode is already considered by several experts to be the most severe heat wave ever recorded on the continent, both in terms of its extent and its impact on human life and infrastructure.
In addition, they warn that the glaciers of the Alps are melting at an unprecedented rate due to the high temperatures that do not fall even during the night.
Risks on the railway network
In Sweden, high temperatures caused train tracks to warp, even leading to the derailment of a commercial train, while in Germany Deutsche Bahn allowed passengers to cancel their journeys for free due to the increased risk to the rail network.
Finally, in neighboring Italy, the authorities have put 18 major cities on red alert, including Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice, while the dramatic drop in the level of the Po River is intensifying fears of widespread drought and serious impacts on agriculture and ecosystems.
