Southern Europe Roasts As Temperatures Soar
France, Italy, Portugal and Spain have been sweltering for several days as the mercury climbed to 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) in some places.
"This is unprecedented," Agner Pannier-Runacher, France's ecology transition minister said as a record 84 of the nation's 96 mainland departments were placed on the second-highest "orange' heat alert.
Only a small sliver of the country in the northwest was not sweltering, according to the Meteo France weather service, which said the heatwave was due to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The summer's first major heatwave has seen authorities in the countries along the Mediterranean's northern coast urging people to seek shelter.
Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent.
Firefighters were on standby after blazes broke out Sunday in France and Turkey, fed by the heat and strong winds.
Already last week, Greek firefighters had to battle a forest blaze on the coast south of Athens that forced some evacuations.
Spain's weather service AEMET said temperatures in Extremadura and Andalusia, in the south and southwest, had reached up to 44C Sunday.
In Madrid, where temperatures approached 40C, 32-year-old photographer Diego Radames told AFPTV: "I feel that the heat we're experiencing is not normal for this time of year.
"As the years go by, I have the feeling that Madrid is getting hotter and hotter, especially in the city centre," he added.
In Italy, 21 cities across the length of the country were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence, Rome and Catania.
"We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted," said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a "muggy, miserable" Verona.
Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported a 10-percent increase in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine.
"It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue," he told AFP.
Several areas in the southern half of Portugal, including Lisbon, were under a red warning until Monday night, said the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
Two-thirds of Portugal was also on high alert Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires -- as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday.
Scientists say climate change is stoking hotter and more intense heatwaves, particularly in cities where the so-called "urban heat island" effect amplifies temperatures among tightly packed buildings.
"The heat waves in the Mediterranean region have become more frequent and more intense in recent years," said Emanuela Piervitali, a researcher at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA).
"A further increase in temperature and heat extremes is expected in the future, so we will have to get used to temperatures with peaks even higher than those we are experiencing now," she told AFP.
The heat is also attracting invasive species, which are thriving in the more tropical climes.
The lionfish, silver-cheeked toadfish, dusky spinefoot and marbled spinefoot are beginning to appear in waters off southern Italy as the Mediterranean warms, it said.
In France, experts warned that the heat was also severely hitting biodiversity. Large parts of Portugal are on heatwave alert AFP Temperatures have climbed to 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places AFP
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DW
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Extreme heat's hidden health and economic toll – DW – 07/02/2025
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DW
16 hours ago
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Germany updates: Merz backs not flying rainbow flag – DW – 07/02/2025
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DW
19 hours ago
- DW
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To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Atomium, one of Brussels' top tourist draws, is closing early on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the heat wave, the monument's management said on its website. The landmark features nine stainless steel spheres linked by narrow steel tubes, forming a giant cube balanced on its tip. Inside, the spheres hold exhibitions and a restaurant, with visitors moving between them by stairs and escalators. German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider has called climate change the biggest social issue of the 21st century as Europe — including Germany — struggles through a heat wave. "If one considers that the richest 1% of the global population causes as much in greenhouse gas emissions as the poorest two-thirds taken together, this poses serious questions of distribution," Schneider said. He argued the heat was exposing social inequality. "People with less money are able to protect themselves less well against the consequences of heat. Poor people more frequently live on busy roads and in densely built homes where heat builds up," the minister said, noting that those with money can afford air-conditioning or cooling gardens. Schneider said the federal government was supporting local authorities and social institutions with advice and funding to expand cooling measures. He said €73.5 million ($86.5 million) had been approved for almost 500 projects since 2020, with at least €11.5 million available for this year and next. The world willl have to live with heat waves, according to the World Meterological Organization (WMO). The United Nation's weather and climate agency has said that heat waves could occur more often and be more intense. "As a result of human-induced climate change, extreme heat is becoming more frequent, more intense. It's something we have to learn to live with," said WMO spokewoman Clare Nullis. The heat wave in Europe is the result of strong high pressure system which is trapping hot air from Northern Africa. WMO said early warnings and action plans are crucial in protecting the public. Organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) are ready to help people across the continent. "Volunteers are giving out water and checking on the most vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness, older people, and outdoor workers," IFRC spokesman Tommaso Della Longa. On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the extreme heat is a "new normal." In France, red alerts have been issued for 16 departments, including Paris, with temperatures expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit). Visitors without tickets are being told to postpone trips to the Eiffel Tower, with the uppermost level remaining closed until Thursday. Operators say the shutdown is "to ensure everyone's comfort and safety." More than 1,300 schools have closed, hospitals are preparing for heat-related cases, and traffic restrictions are in place in Greater Paris. Fire crews are on high alert for wildfires, while heavy storms have triggered mudslides in the Alps. Cooler weather is forecast for the country from Wednesday. Climate experts warn that future summers are set to become hotter than any on record. By 2100, France could be up to 4 C warmer, with temperatures topping 40 C every year and extreme spikes possibly hitting 50 C. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Italy's health ministry says 17 of the country's 27 major cities are under a heat wave alert. As the country's north was battered by torrential rain on Monday, parts of Bardonecchia near Turin were left buried in sludge after the Frejus river burst its banks. Near Bologna, one of the cities under alert on Tuesday, a 46-year-old construction company owner collapsed and died while repaving a school parking lot, according to state-run RAI. An autopsy is underway to confirm the cause, but heat is suspected. First of all, those suffering from heat exhaustion should immediately be taken out of the sun, to a cool place or into the shade, and drink water as quickly as possible. Cold, damp cloths can help cool the body. In addition, someone with heat exhaustion should drink plenty of fluids to bring hydration levels back to normal. Cold water or sports drinks replenish lost salts, but avoid alcohol and caffeine. These can dehydrate you even more, on top of excessive sweating, which, according to experts, can cause additional fluid loss of up to 2 liters on very hot days. Until the symptoms get better, you need to rest. It's important to know that in severe cases, severe vomiting, confusion or even unconsciousness can occur. If that happens, you should see a doctor, if only to rule out heat has recorded its highest-ever June temperature at 46.6 degrees Celsius in Mora, east of Lisbon, beating the previous June record from 2017, according to the IPMA weather agency. More than a third of monitoring stations have registered over 40 C on Sunday, with several regions under red alert for extreme heat and wildfire risk. Spain's weather service Aemet says last month has been the hottest June on record nationwide, with an average temperature of 23.6 C. El Granado near Portugal's border reached 46 C on Saturday, a new June high, while Barcelona posted a sweltering 37.6 C — despite its coastal location. Scientists say human-driven climate change is making heat waves more intense, with heat domes trapping hotter air. The German Weather Service said it expected temperatures to cross 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) this week, with Tuesday and Wednesday set to be the hottest days of the summer so far. German education trade unions have called for nationwide heat protection regulations in schools amid the heatwave. "There must be uniform occupational health and safety regulations for students and school employees," said Anja Bensinger-Stolze, a board member of the Education and Science Union (GEW), in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) newspapers. In addition to modernizing schools with green roofs and shade sails, Bensinger-Stolze continued, a "nationwide supply of free drinking water" is necessary for all children, young people, and employees. German hospitals are also requesting additional funding to retrofit clinics. "Severe heat poses challenges for hospitals and staff. Due to a lack of investment funds, only a few hospitals have air-conditioned rooms, offices, and waiting rooms," said Gerald Gass, the head of the German Hospital Federation (DKG), in an interview with the newspaper. "In the long term, we need a climate protection and adaptation program to renovate old buildings," he said, adding that this was the only way clinics can protect patients and staff from the consequences of climate change. Currently, hospitals rely on measures such as shading facades and cooling packs, Gass explained. We are following the heat wave in Europe as red alerts are in place across the continent. Here in Germany, temperatures have soared, with some areas in the south expected to reach near 40 degrees Celsius. Two people are suspected to have died because of the heat in Italy and Spain. The heat wave comes as Spain and Portugal announce that heat records were broken in the month of June. We'll bring you the latest updates, explainers and analyses on the extreme weather conditions in Europe.
