By Zoila Palma: Record-breaking temperatures swept across Europe on Friday as a deadly heatwave continued to grip the continent, setting new June temperature records in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Germany provisionally recorded its highest-ever temperature of 41.3 degrees Celsius in the southwestern city of Saarbrücken, while Belgium unofficially reached 40C and the Netherlands recorded 39.4C in Limburg.
More than 150 million people across Europe were exposed to temperatures above 35C as the extreme heat spread north and east, BBC reports.
The heatwave has claimed more lives in Spain and France, prompting growing concern among health officials. France’s health minister warned of increasing deaths, particularly among people at home, while Spain’s temperature monitoring system recorded 327 heat-related deaths between Sunday and Thursday.
In France, the number of drowning deaths since the heatwave began has risen to 55, and several children have died after being left in overheated vehicles. The World Meteorological Organization warned the heatwave would have major impacts on health, agriculture, ecosystems and labor, saying societies would need to adapt to increasingly frequent extreme temperatures.
Authorities across Europe have cancelled major public events due to health risks.
In Paris, the annual Pride march and the Solidays music festival were called off as hospitals struggled with increased demand, while organisers modified plans for the Diamond League athletics meeting. In the Netherlands, the Defqon.1 music festival was cancelled after an unprecedented code red heat warning was issued, and Germany also cancelled several outdoor events, including the Hamburg Half Marathon. The extreme temperatures also disrupted transportation, with a Eurostar train breaking down near Brussels, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
Scientists say the heatwave is being driven by a persistent high-pressure system that has pushed temperatures between 5 and 12 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages across parts of Europe.
Researchers from World Weather Attribution described it as the most severe June heatwave ever recorded in the region, while the Copernicus Climate Service noted that Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average.
The post International News: Europe’s deadly heatwave shatters temperature records appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Record-breaking temperatures swept across Europe on Friday as a deadly heatwave continued to grip the continent, setting new June temperature records in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany provisionally recorded its highest-ever temperature of 41.3 degrees Celsius in the southwestern city of Saarbrücken, while Belgium unofficially reached 40C and the Netherlands recorded
The post International News: Europe’s deadly heatwave shatters temperature records appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.