Heat Wave in Europe: Impact Power Grid, Health, Crops
Temperatures across Western Europe are expected to be ten degrees above the norm in coming days. The heatwave has been triggered by a blast of hot air from North Africa. It's expected to stress power systems and has triggered health alerts. Joining me now is Joe WERTZ, Bloomberg's weather and climate reporter. Joe, thanks for joining us bright and early around the studio, around the desk. What can we expect that it's going to be scorching, but there's going to be impacts for that kind of on a human personal level, but also on a on a company level and for the energy grid itself. Yeah, that's right. So it is it's going to be super hot. It's already been super hot. Look, I mean, the this get this high pressure system in its we don't only have kind of a change of of the winds that normally blow westerly that are now blowing up from the south that we bring in in this hot blast of air from from North Africa that you mentioned. Also the high pressure is really clearing out all the clouds. So we've just got the sun just just just baking everything. So, yeah, stress in the energy grids. We've got operators in France, you know, that have have warned that the rivers there might be getting warm, that it's the same rivers that they rely on for cooling the nuclear plants there. So energy grid stress from that, plus increased cooling demand. And this thing is just sitting over Europe and just just just baking in it. How long is this expected to last and what is the impact going to be on agriculture? Yeah, we've already seen some impact from agriculture and farming. It's kind of a crucial time for some farmers in a lot of parts. You know, we should see it here for the next couple of days. Really, France is getting right in the bull's eye of this this this this heat dome effect. Temperatures there well north of 40 degrees and some of the central areas. And, you know, it's you mentioned impact on human health, which is a big deal. We've got, you know, heat health alerts, basically covering parts of the UK, big, big areas of Spain, nearly all of France. And, you know, the temperatures are going to be hot during the day, but they're also not going to cool off in a lot of these areas at night. That's come, you know, makes for uncomfortable sleeping conditions for a lot of folks. But that also doesn't give folks, you know, the relief, the cooling relief that you typically get at night, which is a major, you know, health risk for especially vulnerable people, kids or older folks. Yeah. Or folks with medical conditions. We're talking some in some areas of nighttime temperatures of 25, 25 degrees. Absolutely. Even warmer in some areas, too. So just no relief at night from this. You know, luckily we've got a lower pressure system coming in that might it should bring in a little stormy or weather some more clouds. That should also clear out that high pressure and drop temperatures a little bit. But we got a couple more days of this in store.
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Fast Company
2 hours ago
- Fast Company
A wildfire in Spain kills 2, as Europe bakes in a heat wave
A European heat wave helped fuel a virulent wildfire in Spain that killed two farmers before hundreds of firefighters brought it under control thanks to a timely rainstorm, authorities said Wednesday. The blaze that broke out late on Tuesday in the rural province of Lleida created an enormous thick plume of ash and smoke that reached 14,000 meters (45,000 feet) of altitude, making it the largest registered by firefighters in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain. Firefighters said that the fire spread at 28 kph (17 mph) at one point, making it one of the fastest fires registered in Europe, they said. Catalan regional president Salvador Illa announced the deaths, which occurred late Tuesday, in a social media post around midnight. Firefighters said that the two victims were found near the small village of Coscó in the county of La Segarra near a vehicle. Regional official Nuria Parlón said that the two victims were a farmer and one of his workers. She said that it appears that they were caught by the flames as they were trying to flee the farm. Two firefighters also needed to be treated a local hospital for injuries. Rain played a helping hand A total of 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres), mostly of fields growing grains and cereals, was burned before firefighters got some help from a rainstorm and established a perimeter. Authorities issued warnings to residents via messages to smartphones and ordered 14,000 people to stay indoors, firefighters said. That order was lifted late Tuesday as more than 500 firefighters participated in the deployment. Firefighters said that the rainstorms 'quickly changed the situation and helped speed up getting the fire stabilized.' The fire destroyed mostly farmland, but it also incinerated at least three old farmhouses and some other farm buildings before it was declared under control early Wednesday. 'Wildfires today are not like they were before,' Illa, the regional president, said. 'These are extremely dangerous. From the very first moment, it was considered to be beyond the capacity of extinction. I mean that not even with two or three times the number of firefighters, they have told me, it would have been possible to put out.' The heat wave in parts of Europe has set record high temperatures for June in Spain and Portugal. More hot weather is expected on Wednesday with temperatures in the Lleida region forecast to reach a high of 39 C (102 F). 'It will be a difficult day due to the high temperatures and until we get past the hottest part of the afternoon we will have to be on our guard,' Illa said. Spain bakes Spain has been sweltering under its first heat wave of the year since the weekend. Its weather service said that the national average for June of 23.6 C (74 F) was a new record. It was the first time that June was hotter than the average temperatures for both July and August. Except for Spain's northern Atlantic coast, the country remained under alert for high temperatures and for wildfire risk on Wednesday. In Spain's southern city of Malaga, the international Red Cross set up a 'climate refuge' that is air-conditioned down to the low 20s C (about 70F) to help residents 'cope with the heat in comfort and with company, avoiding the isolation and loneliness' that extreme heat can impose as people stay indoors. The Spanish Red Cross was also providing an 'assisted bathing service' to help people with reduced mobility to cool down in waters at the beach. The European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said that it was closely monitoring the abnormally hot temperatures for the continent. Weather experts link the heat wave to climate change. More than two-thirds of the severest heat waves in Europe registered since 1950 have occurred since 2000, the World Meteorological Organization says. France's national weather agency kept four departments under red alert on Wednesday after temperatures exceeded 40 C (104 F) in many towns. The summit of Paris' iconic Eiffel Tower remained closed until Thursday for 'everyone's comfort and safety.' Air conditioning strains Italian power Heat alerts were issued for 17 Italian cities Wednesday. The corresponding surge in air conditioning was straining the electric grid and causing periodic blackouts. On Tuesday, parts of Florence's historic center—which is packed with hotels, restaurants, and shops—had a blackout following a surge in electricity use, energy company Enel said. Italy's labor ministry, meanwhile, summoned union representatives to a meeting Wednesday to finalize a protocol on protecting farm, construction and other workers who labor outdoors from heat exposure. This came after a construction worker died in Bologna this week.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
European summers are getting brutally hot. So why is air conditioning so rare?
A brutal heat wave is gripping many parts of Europe, leaving millions of people struggling to adapt to punishing, record-breaking temperatures. Heat persists even at night, with temperatures in some places not dipping much below 90 degrees. There is little respite. Air conditioning is very rare in European homes. Many residents are being forced to ride out the searing heat with the help of electric fans, ice packs and cold showers. But Europe hasn't approached heat in the same way as the historically hotter United States. While nearly 90% of US homes have air conditioning, in Europe it's around 20%, and some countries have much lower rates. In the United Kingdom, only around 5% of homes have cooling systems — many of which are portable AC units. In Germany, the figure is 3%. As climate change drives more severe and prolonged heat waves, which arrive earlier and earlier, some are questioning why wealthy European countries have been seemingly reluctant to adopt air conditioning — especially as the heat takes an increasingly deadly toll. A big part of the reason is many European countries historically had little need for cooling, especially in the north. Heat waves have always happened but rarely reached the prolonged high temperatures Europe now regularly endures. 'In Europe… we simply don't have the tradition of air conditioning… because up to relatively recently, it hasn't been a major need,' said Brian Motherway, head of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Inclusive Transitions at the International Energy Agency. This meant AC has traditionally been seen as a luxury rather than a necessity, especially as installing and running it can be expensive. Energy costs in many European countries are higher than in the US, while incomes tend to be lower. Energy prices have risen even further since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, as the EU takes steps to phase out its reliance on Russian oil and gas. Though prices have stabilized since the initial energy crisis of 2022, the cost of powering an AC unit may still be out of reach for many Europeans. Then there's the architecture. Some buildings in hotter, southern European countries were built for the heat. They have thick walls, small windows that keep the sun from beaming inside and are designed to maximize air flow. This has helped keep them cooler and lessened the perceived need for artificial cooling. In other parts of Europe, however, homes have not been designed with heat in mind. 'We haven't been in the habit … of thinking about how we stay cool in the summer. It really is a relatively recent phenomenon,' said Motherway. Buildings on the continent tend to be older, built before AC technology became mainstream. In England, which has just endured its hottest June on record, one in six homes were built before 1900. It can be harder to outfit older homes with central cooling systems, although far from impossible, Motherway said. Sometimes a bigger problem is red tape, said Richard Salmon, the director of the Air Conditioning Company based in the UK. UK authorities will often reject applications to install AC 'on the basis of the visual appearance of the outdoor condenser unit, especially in conservation areas or on listed buildings,' he said. There is also a policy angle. Europe has pledged to become 'climate neutral' by 2050 and a sharp increase in air conditioners will make climate commitments even harder to reach. Not only are air conditioners energy guzzlers, but they also push heat outside. A study looking at AC use in Paris found they could increase the outside temperature between about 2 and 4 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 7.2 Fahrenheit). This impact is especially severe in Europe's generally dense cities. Some countries have imposed measures to limit air conditioning. In 2022, Spain introduced rules stipulating AC in public places should be set no lower than 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) to save energy. Attitudes and concerns around AC in Europe are changing, however, as the continent becomes a climate hotspot, warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. The continent faces a dilemma: embrace energy-intensive air conditioning, with the negative climate impacts it brings, or find alternative ways to cope with its ever-hotter future. 'Our homes need to be resilient not just to the cold, but to the increasingly brutal heat,' said Yetunde Abdul, director at UK Green Building Council. There are already clear signs uptake is increasing in Europe, as in many parts of the world. An IEA report found the number of air conditioning units in the EU is likely to rise to 275 million by 2050 — more than double the 2019 figure. The Air Conditioning Company's Salmon says he has seen demand for air conditioning skyrocket. 'Over the last five years, residential enquiries have more than tripled. This heatwave in particular has sent things through the roof… People just can't function when they're boiling at 3 a.m.' Some politicians are pushing for a sweeping uptake of AC. France's far-right politician Marine Le Pen has vowed to implement a 'major air conditioning infrastructure plan,' while criticizing the 'so-called French elites' who encourage others to seek alternative cooling methods while they 'obviously enjoy air-conditioned cars and offices.' But experts warn AC may be a quick reprieve from scorching temperatures but it gobbles up energy, most of which still comes from planet-heating fossil fuels. Using fossil fuel-powered AC increases planet-heating pollution, which in turn increases temperatures, fueling 'a vicious cycle of worsening climate change,' said Radhika Khosla, an associate professor at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford. The reality is mindsets around AC are undoubtedly going to change in Europe, as extreme heat — and its health impacts — increases, IEA's Motherway said. The challenge will be making sure countries have strong regulations around the efficiency of cooling systems to reduce their potentially huge climate impact. 'Because every air conditioner sold today locks in energy use and emissions for the next decade or two decades. So it's important we get this right first time.'
CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
European summers are getting brutally hot. So why is air conditioning so rare?
Extreme temperaturesFacebookTweetLink A brutal heat wave is gripping many parts of Europe, leaving millions of people struggling to adapt to punishing, record-breaking temperatures. Heat persists even at night, with temperatures in some places not dipping much below 90 degrees. There is little respite. Air conditioning is very rare in European homes. Many residents are being forced to ride out the searing heat with the help of electric fans, ice packs and cold showers. But Europe hasn't approached heat in the same way as the historically hotter United States. While nearly 90% of US homes have air conditioning, in Europe it's around 20%, and some countries have much lower rates. In the United Kingdom, only around 5% of homes have cooling systems — many of which are portable AC units. In Germany, the figure is 3%. As climate change drives more severe and prolonged heat waves, which arrive earlier and earlier, some are questioning why wealthy European countries have been seemingly reluctant to adopt air conditioning — especially as the heat takes an increasingly deadly toll. A big part of the reason is many European countries historically had little need for cooling, especially in the north. Heat waves have always happened but rarely reached the prolonged high temperatures Europe now regularly endures. 'In Europe… we simply don't have the tradition of air conditioning… because up to relatively recently, it hasn't been a major need,' said Brian Motherway, head of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Inclusive Transitions at the International Energy Agency. This meant AC has traditionally been seen as a luxury rather than a necessity, especially as installing and running it can be expensive. Energy costs in many European countries are higher than in the US, while incomes tend to be lower. Energy prices have risen even further since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, as the EU takes steps to phase out its reliance on Russian oil and gas. Though prices have stabilized since the initial energy crisis of 2022, the cost of powering an AC unit may still be out of reach for many Europeans. Then there's the architecture. Some buildings in hotter, southern European countries were built for the heat. They have thick walls, small windows that keep the sun from beaming inside and are designed to maximize air flow. This has helped keep them cooler and lessened the perceived need for artificial cooling. In other parts of Europe, however, homes have not been designed with heat in mind. 'We haven't been in the habit … of thinking about how we stay cool in the summer. It really is a relatively recent phenomenon,' said Motherway. Buildings on the continent tend to be older, built before AC technology became mainstream. In England, which has just endured its hottest June on record, one in six homes were built before 1900. It can be harder to outfit older homes with central cooling systems, although far from impossible, Motherway said. Sometimes a bigger problem is red tape, said Richard Salmon, the director of the Air Conditioning Company based in the UK. UK authorities will often reject applications to install AC 'on the basis of the visual appearance of the outdoor condenser unit, especially in conservation areas or on listed buildings,' he said. There is also a policy angle. Europe has pledged to become 'climate neutral' by 2050 and a sharp increase in air conditioners will make climate commitments even harder to reach. Not only are air conditioners energy guzzlers, but they also push heat outside. A study looking at AC use in Paris found they could increase the outside temperature between about 2 and 4 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 7.2 Fahrenheit). This impact is especially severe in Europe's generally dense cities. Some countries have imposed measures to limit air conditioning. In 2022, Spain introduced rules stipulating AC in public places should be set no lower than 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) to save energy. Attitudes and concerns around AC in Europe are changing, however, as the continent becomes a climate hotspot, warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. The continent faces a dilemma: embrace energy-intensive air conditioning, with the negative climate impacts it brings, or find alternative ways to cope with its ever-hotter future. 'Our homes need to be resilient not just to the cold, but to the increasingly brutal heat,' said Yetunde Abdul, director at UK Green Building Council. There are already clear signs uptake is increasing in Europe, as in many parts of the world. An IEA report found the number of air conditioning units in the EU is likely to rise to 275 million by 2050 — more than double the 2019 figure. The Air Conditioning Company's Salmon says he has seen demand for air conditioning skyrocket. 'Over the last five years, residential enquiries have more than tripled. This heatwave in particular has sent things through the roof… People just can't function when they're boiling at 3 a.m.' Some politicians are pushing for a sweeping uptake of AC. France's far-right politician Marine Le Pen has vowed to implement a 'major air conditioning infrastructure plan,' while criticizing the 'so-called French elites' who encourage others to seek alternative cooling methods while they 'obviously enjoy air-conditioned cars and offices.' But experts warn AC may be a quick reprieve from scorching temperatures but it gobbles up energy, most of which still comes from planet-heating fossil fuels. Using fossil fuel-powered AC increases planet-heating pollution, which in turn increases temperatures, fueling 'a vicious cycle of worsening climate change,' said Radhika Khosla, an associate professor at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford. The reality is mindsets around AC are undoubtedly going to change in Europe, as extreme heat — and its health impacts — increases, IEA's Motherway said. The challenge will be making sure countries have strong regulations around the efficiency of cooling systems to reduce their potentially huge climate impact. 'Because every air conditioner sold today locks in energy use and emissions for the next decade or two decades. So it's important we get this right first time.'
