Latest news with #BrusselsWorld'sFair
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- Climate
- The Herald Scotland
Europe's heat wave creates dangerous conditions, shutters Eiffel Tower
The blistering temperatures caused one of the world's most popular tourist attractions, the Eiffel Tower, to close its top floor, shorten its hours and turn away visitors who don't have advanced tickets. In Belgium, where temperatures reached the high 90s, officials closed the Atomium attraction, a model of an iron molecule built for the 1959 Brussels World's Fair. It is only the second time the model changed hours because of heat. The first was in 2019. Italy, meanwhile, issued heat wave red alerts across 17 cities, including Milan and Rome. Several regions of the Mediterranean country banned outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day. The extreme heat across the western Europe is the result of a heat dome. That's a common summer weather pattern that produces high pressure and acts as a cap, locking heat in underneath, France's weather service said. Parts of Europe set heat records The scorching temperatures come as Spain, Portugal and England recorded their hottest June last month. The average temperature in Spain was 78 degrees Fahrenheit in June. On June 30, it rose to about 100 degrees, according to the country's weather service. Those highs are "exceptional" the World Meteorological Organization said in an online forecast. Europe typically experiences its hottest temperatures of the year in July. The organization cites human-induced climate change as a reason for the extreme heat. More than two thirds of the continent's most severe heatwaves since 1950 have occurred in the last 25 years, according to the World Meteorological Organization. By 2050, it expects "half of the European population may be exposed to high or very high risk of heat stress during summer." The agency said the punishing temperatures could cause severe, potentially life threatening, effects on human health. And many people can't seek shelter from the heat at home: As of 2019, only 20% of households in Europe had air conditioning installed, according to the European Environment Agency. Western US sees scorching temps Parts of the United States are also being gripped by higher-than-normal temperatures. The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for parts of southwest Arizona and southeast California until 8 p.m. on July 1. Afternoon highs could reach between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit in these regions, according to the agency Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah are all expected to see temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather service issued heat advisories through the evening of July 2 for much of those states, warning people to take extra precautions when outside. The agency also issued a red flag warning for much of northern California and north-central Nevada, meaning that "critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly." These can include a "combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior." "Heat will build over the Intermountain West and the Southwest the next couple of days," the National Weather Service said in an online forecast on June 30. "Lightning from dry thunderstorms can create new fire starts and combined with gusty winds may cause a fire to rapidly grow in Oregon and northern California." Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Reuters
USA Today
17 hours ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Heat wave blisters Europe, creating dangerous conditions and shuttering historic sites
Temperatures climbed above 100 degrees Fahrenheit across parts of Europe, creating health concerns and closing historic landmarks. A sweltering heat wave sent temperatures soaring above 100 degrees across much of Europe, causing schools and landmarks to shutter as several countries recorded the hottest month of June on record. France issued a red alert on July 1 and warned of potentially severe health impacts as temperatures across the country climbed to between 100 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the country's meteorological service. The agency said it anticipates Tuesday will be among the 10 hottest days ever recorded in France. The blistering temperatures caused one of the world's most popular tourist attractions, the Eiffel Tower, to close its top floor, shorten its hours and turn away visitors who don't have advanced tickets. In Belgium, where temperatures reached the high 90s, officials closed the Atomium attraction, a model of an iron molecule built for the 1959 Brussels World's Fair. It is only the second time the model changed hours because of heat. The first was in 2019. Italy, meanwhile, issued heat wave red alerts across 17 cities, including Milan and Rome. Several regions of the Mediterranean country banned outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day. The extreme heat across the western Europe is the result of a heat dome. That's a common summer weather pattern that produces high pressure and acts as a cap, locking heat in underneath, France's weather service said. Parts of Europe set heat records The scorching temperatures come as Spain, Portugal and England recorded their hottest June last month. The average temperature in Spain was 78 degrees Fahrenheit in June. On June 30, it rose to about 100 degrees, according to the country's weather service. Those highs are 'exceptional' the World Meteorological Organization said in an online forecast. Europe typically experiences its hottest temperatures of the year in July. The organization cites human-induced climate change as a reason for the extreme heat. More than two thirds of the continent's most severe heatwaves since 1950 have occurred in the last 25 years, according to the World Meteorological Organization. By 2050, it expects 'half of the European population may be exposed to high or very high risk of heat stress during summer.' The agency said the punishing temperatures could cause severe, potentially life threatening, effects on human health. And many people can't seek shelter from the heat at home: As of 2019, only 20% of households in Europe had air conditioning installed, according to the European Environment Agency. Western US sees scorching temps Parts of the United States are also being gripped by higher-than-normal temperatures. The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for parts of southwest Arizona and southeast California until 8 p.m. on July 1. Afternoon highs could reach between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit in these regions, according to the agency Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah are all expected to see temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather service issued heat advisories through the evening of July 2 for much of those states, warning people to take extra precautions when outside. The agency also issued a red flag warning for much of northern California and north-central Nevada, meaning that "critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly." These can include a "combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior." "Heat will build over the Intermountain West and the Southwest the next couple of days," the National Weather Service said in an online forecast on June 30. "Lightning from dry thunderstorms can create new fire starts and combined with gusty winds may cause a fire to rapidly grow in Oregon and northern California." Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Reuters
Boston Globe
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
I hope I haven't just seen the future of hospitality
We finally learned that the door is tricky — you had to use a quirky maneuver to push, then pull, then push again, and it opened. Had a human been there it would have saved a lot of frustration. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up In the lobby there was a hotel desk that looked eerie without a human behind it. There was no concierge to ask about museums, good seafood restaurants nearby, or whether it was better to get around on a tram, taxi, or bus. There was a stack of keycards and instructions for making a second key. But the instructions clearly warned that creating a new key would deactivate the existing one. We couldn't take that risk. And there was no human to ask. Advertisement The room itself was beautiful — sleek and minimal, like a modern Japanese hotel. It was clearly designed with the idea that everything would be intuitive, like unboxing an Apple device. It wasn't. Despite both of us being tech-savvy, we struggled with basic features like the lighting. It wasn't a user issue — it was a design flaw. I've stayed in many hotels that use digital check-in, check-out, and digital key systems. But in every case, there was always a human at the front desk — someone to greet me, answer questions, or help when things didn't go as planned. This time was different. I had stepped into what was clearly meant to be the hotel of the future. While I can imagine that design glitches will eventually be ironed out, what unsettled me most wasn't the imperfect design or technology — it was the complete absence of any human presence. Automated service in hospitality has a long history dating back to 1895, with the opening of the world's first automat restaurant in Berlin. The technology was shown at the Brussels World's Fair in 1897, and then quickly expanded around the world to restaurant chains like Horn & Hardart in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. My parents took me to one as a child and told me it was magic, until I spotted a human hand slipping a lemon meringue pie into an empty bin. Many cafes today are automated using robots (e.g., in the United States, China, Dubai, Berlin). It's always fun to watch a robot make and serve coffee. However, a service performed by a robot is different from what I experienced in the Berlin hotel — at least the robot gives you a sense of interaction. Robots provide a visible interface — we see them prepare the coffee, pour it, serve it. There's a kind of feedback loop. With purely automated systems that lack even a robotic presence, there's no visual representation of the service being performed. They are just invisible systems working (or not) in the background. Advertisement Today, many hotels are investing heavily in fully automated experiences, claiming benefits like higher efficiency, lower operational costs, and improved guest satisfaction. I can easily accept the first and second claims, but I wonder: Where's the evidence that automation actually improves guest satisfaction? In contactless hotels, no one greets you, smiles at you, asks about your travel, or engages in small talk. Our hotel experience in Berlin reminded me of the growing loneliness epidemic — another instance of the absence of human interaction. Of course, we don't expect to form relationships with hotel staff, but simple human gestures do matter. Some hotel chains, like Warwick Hotels, even have their front desk staff wear name tags showing their hometowns — a small touch that sparks conversation. Many industries have already transitioned away from human interaction: escape rooms, cinemas, virtual reality arcades, car rentals, campsites. We rarely question it anymore. But this Berlin hotel experience really hit home how much I value and miss the most basic human connection. When I was growing up, my father took me to the library every week. The librarian knew me, remembered what I liked to read, and often had books ready for me. Even today, I love to go regularly to a café where the staff know me. It feels special. Once, while we were traveling in Central America, the gate agent greeted us warmly upon arrival in Guatemala. Days later, when we were running late for our return flight, that same agent remembered our departure flight, waited in the lobby, and personally rushed us through to the gate (this was before 9/11), holding the small plane just for us. That's real service. Advertisement I am no Luddite. But we need to carefully consider what technology should and should not replace. A future hospitality industry without a human touch — in hotels, restaurants, stores, taxis — will only deepen a culture of disconnection. AI can learn your preferences, but it can't offer empathy. We will likely quickly normalize fully automated experiences, and it will feel as ordinary as self-check-in kiosks do today. Yes, it will be more efficient, and yes, it will reduce costs. But something intangible will be lost: a piece of our shared humanity. In the end, convenience technology will continue to reshape the hospitality industry — but we must ask what kind of world we're creating in the process. Efficiency should not come at the cost of connection. A hotel stay, like so many small moments in life, is more than just a transaction; it's an opportunity for warmth, welcome, and human presence. As we automate more of our everyday experiences, let's be careful not to automate away the very things that make us feel seen, valued, and human. A smile at check-in, a brief conversation, a gesture of kindness — these are not inefficiencies to be eliminated. They are the soul of hospitality, and without them, we risk designing a world that feels increasingly cold and lonely.
