Air temperatures in a number of southern European countries came close to reaching 40°C on Sunday, as a result of a mass of hot air moving in from the northern Sahara. Governments are warning the public of the dangers and forecasting possible disruption to transport services. Across Europe, there is concern about the early arrival of extreme summer heat.
This is according to Reuters.
Warnings from the authorities
For several days running, temperatures in Italy have exceeded 35°C. Consequently, a red alert has been issued in eight cities, including Milan, Florence and Bologna. In the Vatican, pilgrims were forced to seek shelter from the sun under parasols during the traditional Sunday prayer service.
For its part, Spain has also issued a warning to the public. Authorities there have warned of temperatures of 39–40°C across much of the Iberian Peninsula and Mallorca. The scorching temperatures are set to persist for at least a week.
Impact on Transport and Community Life
Exceptionally high temperatures have begun to disrupt infrastructure operations. For example, in France, rail traffic was partially halted. SNCF head Jean Castex stated that there are risks of damage to overhead power lines and track expansion. About 2,000 workers have been involved in emergency repairs, with another 3,500 monitoring the situation. More than 70 trains have been canceled.
In Germany, the heat has led to severe thunderstorms in the eastern regions, resulting in the cancellation of the Fete de la Musique festival. Additionally, tennis and football competitions across Europe have also been disrupted.
Pressure on nature
Animals are suffering from extreme heat stress. In just the past few days, a Belgian wildlife center near Namur has taken in about 150 animals. Nestlings are a key risk group.
“Nestlings prefer to jump rather than die and literally cook in their nests,” said CREAVES founder Romain De Jaeger, adding that centers across Belgium are overwhelmed.
Overall, such phenomena confirm experts' opinions that heatwaves in Europe are becoming more intense and long-lasting. These trends are directly linked to climate change.
EcoPolitic previously reported that the first heatwave hit Europe as early as May. At that time, a number of cities already broke temperature records. In particular, London was 16°C hotter than average, while Paris was 14°C above the norm.
Climatic anomalies are distorting weather worldwide. For example, in Peru, instead of winter, climatic summer continues. This is linked there to the El Niño phenomenon.
