Photo: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty
Europeans are in the midst of an extreme summer heat wave that’s shattering records across the continent and has sparked a rapidly growing wildfire in Spain.
Multipleall-time records in Western Europehave been broken as temperatures in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland soared past 100 degrees Fahrenheit this month, placing many in the region at risk of conditions such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
While areas in the United States may routinely hit 100 degrees in the summer months, similar temperatures are uncommon for most of Europe,CNNnotes, and many may be ill-prepared for such extreme weather. In 2003, a heat wave killed more than 14,000 people, thenews stationreported, and last year, another wave caused deaths in both Spain and Portugal.
“When summer temperatures are routinely in the 70s, like in northern Europe or the West Coast of the U.S., many places do not have air conditioning,” CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller explained. “This can turn deadly fast if heat waves strike and last for several days.”
Temperature-related records in Austria, France, Spain and Switzerland have also been broken for June, according toThe Weather Channel.
“We’re at a moment when the blaze is getting bigger,” said regional interior minister Miquel Buch, according toDW.
People cool off in Berlin, Germany.Sean Gallup/Getty
Upwards of 50 people have been evacuated because of the blaze, which is considered to be the worst the region has seen in nearly two decades, the outlet said.
In southern France, four administrativedistricts were placed on red alert— a warning for a dangerous heat wave. Schools will be closed and outdoor activities, such as sports games, will be suspended until temperatures begin to cool. Yet, temperatures are expected to rise into the weekend.
“This heat wave is unprecedented in France,” French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn told DW. “It is exceptional in its intensity.”
Nuns stand beneath an umbrella at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City.TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty
In a tweet, Stefan Rahmstorf — the head of Earth system analysis at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research — pointed out that thefive hottest European summers since 1,500 AD have all occurred in the last two decades.
source: people.com
