PARIS, Jun 24 (INS): The worst hit by the unusual heatwave in June in Europe
are France, Spain, Italy and UK where red and amber heat alerts are active.
In Les Herbiers in the southwest of France temperatures reached 43 deg Celsius
(109 deg Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Red Cross has warned the next
few days pose “serious health risks” for Europe.
At many places in Europe it is the hottest in nearly 100 years. Spain is cooking
while London is no better. Over 40 people have drowned jumping into reservoirs
and rivers to escape the unusual June heat in France. There were other health-elated
fatalities also.
France is among the hardest hit as a severe early-summer heatwave, driven by
an "Omega block" weather pattern trapping hot Saharan air, is sweeping across
western and central Europe.
France registered its hottest June day on record, averaging 29.8 C, with cities
like Bordeaux soaring past 41°C, on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported 40 drowning deaths in France since
June 18, many of whom were young people. Additionally, several elderly people
have died from heat-related health complications.
France's sports minister Marina Ferrari has warned against people rushing to
reservoirs and rivers to escape the soaring temperatures. More than half the
country is on red alert.
The Louvre in Paris, the world famous museum, said it would close two hours
early at 4 pm local time (14:00 GMT) from Wednesday to Saturday. It said, “it
is at the end of the day that heat builds up most." The Eiffel Tower also would
close at 4 pm.
Temperature will be around 43 deg C this week in many areas of Spain. Several
places have been put on alert. The risk of wildfires is anticipated. Red alerts
are in Andalusia in the south and Cantabria and the Basque Country in the north,
third day running.
San Sebastian in the cooler north was set to reach 40 deg C (104 deg F), more
than double the city’s historic average.
In Italy, red heatwave alert has been declared in 15 cities, including Rome,
Milan, Florence, Turin and Venice. Even healthy adults are at health risk.
Britain’s Met Office warned on Monday that a four-day heatwave could push temperatures
above 39 deg C (102 deg F) in parts of the country, breaking the June records
of 35.6 deg C (96 deg F) set in 1957 and 1976.
Many schools remained closed on Tuesday in England.
The heatwave was driven by an “Omega block” weather pattern, named for its
resemblance to the shape of the Greek letter.
Where it's deadly:
Specific locations reported by French authorities and emergency services include:
The Canal Saint-Martin: Dozens of locals and young crowds in Paris have
been diving directly into this urban waterway to avoid their sizzling apartments.
The River Seine: Fatal incidents have occurred in major rivers, including
a tragic drowning of a 13-year-old girl swimming in the Seine at Fontaine-le-Port.
The Trocadero Fountains: While not resulting in the drowning figures,
massive crowds have packed the fountains directly adjacent to the Eiffel Tower
to submerge themselves.
Unsupervised regional reservoirs and lakes: The vast majority of the
40+ drownings tracked by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office occurred
in rural or semi-urban reservoirs and lakes lacking active lifeguard supervision
When it's deadly:
Thermal shock: Entering cold water too quickly while the body is overheated
can cause immediate hydrocution (cardiac arrest or sudden gasping that leads
to water inhalation).
Hidden currents: Canals and rivers have strong undercurrents and sudden
depth drops that quickly overwhelm even strong swimmers.
Lack of lifeguards: Because these are unauthorized swimming zones, there
is no immediate first-responder presence to rescue struggling individuals.
What is Omega block: It is is a slow-moving, large-scale atmospheric
weather pattern named because the jet stream bends into a shape resembling the
uppercase Greek letter Omega (O). It traps a massive dome of high pressure between
two low-pressure systems, causing persistent heatwaves in some areas and continuous
rain in others.
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