Record-breaking heat and heatwave in Europe, France-Britain hit; Power outage in more than 1 lakh houses, health advisory issued
Paris/Rennes. Record-breaking heat and heat wave continues in Europe, due to which 40 people, mostly youth, have died due to drowning while bathing in rivers and ponds in France in the last five days. Meanwhile, the French, who were battling the scorching heat, got another blow when the electricity supply to about 1,06,000 houses was disrupted on Tuesday night. People in Britain have been warned that temperatures could reach dangerous levels on Wednesday and could even pose a risk to life. The ‘red heat’ health alert for much of central and southern England and Wales is the second such warning issued so far by UK authorities. Earlier, such an alert was issued in July 2022, when the temperature in the country had reached above 40 degrees Celsius.
Panic created due to power cut and severe heat wave
Despite French grid operators working through the night, 68,000 homes remained without power by late Wednesday evening. According to local media, people, suffering from this scorching heat and humidity in the country, are swimming in unsafe water areas (rivers, lakes and restricted ponds) to cool themselves without caring for the warnings and safety guidelines of the administration, due to which 40 people have died due to drowning. Officials in France, Italy and Spain have also issued warnings about the danger of extreme heat. Crores of people in these countries have been asked to be alert about the serious health effects and possible risks of extreme temperatures. Britain is facing the highest temperature ever in the month of June.
‘Red warning’ issued due to extreme heat in France and Britain
The national weather service, ‘Météo France’, has issued a ‘red alert’ for almost half of the country, where temperatures are expected to range between 39 degrees Celsius to 41 degrees Celsius. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu told an emergency meeting that schools, trains and sporting events had been badly affected due to the lack of air-conditioning due to the extreme heat.
Visiting hours to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum were limited due to the extreme heat, while many school activities and public transport services were also affected. Italy’s Health Ministry on Wednesday issued a ‘red alert’ for 16 cities, including major cities like Rome, Milan, Florence and Turin. ‘Bolinao Rosso’ (Red Alert) indicates an emergency situation, which can affect not only vulnerable people, but also healthy adults. Temperatures could reach 41 °C in Florence and 38 °C in Milan, while temperatures in Rome and Naples are expected to remain below 36 °C.
Warning of situation like 2003
Meteorologists have warned that this time’s heat wave is reminiscent of the historic heat wave of 2003, which took the lives of about 15,000 people in France. Meanwhile, across the English Channel, Britain’s Met Office has also issued a ‘Red Extreme Heat Warning’ for southern England and Wales, where temperatures are expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius to 39 degrees Celsius. Experts say that due to human-caused climate change, temperatures are rising twice as fast as the global average, due to which the entire Europe is currently facing a severe health crisis, forest fires and power cuts.
The Meteorological Department has predicted the temperature to reach 38 degrees Celsius in southern England. On Tuesday, the temperature in Wisley, south-west of London, was recorded at 34.6 degrees Celsius, one of the hottest days this year. “Red alerts are only issued in the most severe circumstances,” said Mark Sidaway, deputy chief forecaster at Britain’s Met Office. We expect the impacts of this extreme heat to be extremely severe and widespread.
This could have an impact on the health of a large number of people, even those who are not normally considered to be very sensitive to heat. Due to the extreme heat, some schools in England have been closed, while many train services have been cancelled. Authorities have appealed to people to travel to ‘red alert’ areas only when essential and avoid non-essential travel. The highest temperature ever recorded in the month of June was recorded in France on Tuesday.
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