Europe on high alert as surprise early heatwave creeps north
Tens of thousands of people have died in Europe during past heatwaves, prompting authorities to issue warnings for old and young, the sick, and others vulnerable to what experts call a "silent killer".
Scientists said it was unusual for such heat to hit Europe this early in the season, but that human-caused climate change from burning fossil fuels was making these once-rare events far more likely.
Records have tumbled, with France and Portugal experiencing their highest-ever single-day temperatures in June, Spain its warmest June, and the Netherlands its hottest opening day of July.
In England, the weather service said it was the hottest June since records began in 1884.
The Mediterranean Sea recorded a new June high of 26.01 degrees Celsius on Sunday, just the latest abnormal marine heatwave in the basin, harming sea life and turbocharging storms.
The summit of the Eiffel Tower was shut for a second straight day, and was due to remain closed on Wednesday.
On Tuesday in Brussels, the city's Atomium monument, famed for its giant stainless steel balls, was exceptionally shut as temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit).
'Living like moles'
Under scorching skies, Paris imposed its first "red alert" in five years, empowering officials to limit or ban sporting events, festivals and school outings for children.
The heat is expected to peak on Tuesday, with Paris facing highs of 38C, but authorities have extended the alert into Wednesday.
Some parks will remain open all night, pools have extended visiting hours, and cooling centres in churches and museums are offering respite from the lack of greenery and concrete surfaces that amplify the heat.
"We're living a bit like moles," Nicole, 85, told AFP in the stifling air of her apartment in a tower block in Paris.
Across France, the government said it expected nearly 1,350 schools to be partially or completely shut, with teachers complaining that overheated and unventilated classrooms were making students unwell.
Authorities are fanning out to check on the elderly, chronically ill and the homeless.
"When it's cold, I add blankets and hats. But when it's hot like this, what can I do? Nothing, just wait for it to pass and hope I don't faint," said Jo, a 55-year-old homeless man in Bordeaux, in southwestern France.
As far north as the Netherlands, some regions were placed on the second-highest alert on Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to reach 38C.
Schools in Rotterdam and across West Brabant province adopted "tropical schedules" to ensure students started and finished earlier to avoid the worst of the day's heat.
In Germany, temperatures could peak at 40C on Wednesday.
In Spain and Portugal, where highs of 46C were recorded in some locations over the weekend, a level of respite was expected, though temperatures could still exceed 40C in parts.
A two-year-old boy died in northeastern Spain on Tuesday after being left in the back of a car parked in the sun, police said.
'Silent killer'
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said its teams of volunteers had mobilised across Europe to give out water and assist the most vulnerable.
"Extreme heat doesn't have to be a disaster: knowledge, preparedness and early action make all the difference," said IFRC spokesman Tommaso Della Longa.
"We're still seeing infrastructure challenges associated with heatwaves, pressure on national healthcare systems, and we still have excess deaths," she told AFP.
A heatwave in 2022 killed an estimated 60,000 people across Europe, mostly elderly.
The World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday that heat was a "silent killer" and the death toll from prolonged, extreme exposure was often under-reflected in official statistics.
Spokeswoman Clare Nullis said every death from heat was unnecessary, and society would have to adapt to more heatwaves in future.
"It's something we have to learn to live with," Nullis said.
burs-np-bl/jhb
© 2025 AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Authorities issue more red alert heat warnings across Europe
Europe continues to struggle on Wednesday against extreme temperatures caused by an exceptional African anticyclone which is spreading across the continent, with authorities in several countries issuing new red alert warnings as emergency cases rise. Heat warnings were issued for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and the UK, with new highs expected on Wednesday before forecast rain is expected to bring respite to some areas. Italy In the Italian capital Rome, people struggled to cope with the heat as temperatures rose above 40 degrees Celsius. Tourists dunked their hands, arms and faces into the city's ubiquitous fountains and snacked on gelato as they tried to keep cool. Italy's Health Ministry issued red alert heat warnings for 17 cities across the country, including Rome, Florence, Turin and Milan. Rome's Civil Protection unit set up air-conditioned tents around the city and handed out bottles of water in five mobile units around the city from the Colosseum to the Vatican. "Sunglasses, a bit of sunscreen, a cap, and that's it. Oh yes and always have water in your bag," was the survival formula for Julie Riolacci, an 18-year-old visiting from Corsica. Paolo Scarabaggio, a 20-year-old Italian, had a different solution: "Getting your arms wet with the water from the fountain," he said, "And then taking little streets that are in the shade and staying out of the sun." On Monday, one person drowned after the Fréjus River in Italy's north flooded, while a 47-year-old working on a construction site near Bologna died during a concrete pour. Spain While in Spain's Catalonia region, a wildfire claimed two lives on Tuesday, with emergency services and officials predicting additional wind and thunderstorms for Wednesday. The fire has since been contained and there were no additional injuries, according to fire crews, but the Torrefeta fire, which started in an agricultural area on Tuesday afternoon, destroyed multiple farms and affected an area of around 40 square kilometres. The first heatwave of the year began its grip on Spain during the weekend and no relief is expected until Thursday, the national weather service said on Monday. The country appeared to hit a new high for June on Saturday when 46 degrees Celsius was recorded in the southern province of Huelva, while residents in the capital Madrid say it is proving difficult to cope with city's high temperatures. The Netherlands Meanwhile, in the Dutch town of Soest, firefighters brought hoses to a local park on Tuesday evening to cool down residents amid a heatwave. "Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you're guaranteed to get soaked," the firefighters said in an Instagram post. Dozens of families enjoyed the public event with water pistols. "It's a very good idea of them to help and cool us down and entertain us at the same time," said Maarten, a Soest resident. France Paris' elegant Haussmann facades and narrow, historic streets that enchant tourists by day could soon turn against residents as brutal heat waves bake the city. Soaring temperatures this week have exposed how the capital's storied architecture and dense urban "canyons" trap and radiate heat long after sunset, putting vulnerable populations at risk. Urban climatologist Erwan Cordeau explained that sun-drenched limestone facades absorb massive amounts of heat during the day. "Then at night, when there is no more sunlight, this heat will be released, meaning the street will struggle to cool down," he said. The effect is most pronounced in central districts, particularly along the right bank of the River Seine, where night-time temperatures can run six to seven degrees Celsius hotter than in leafier, residential suburbs. Further vulnerability factors include an ageing population and poorly insulated 19th-century apartment blocks. On former railway grounds in the west of the city, a new development features a "green island" park designed to provide shade, manage water and serve as a cooling refuge. "It offers several qualities: shading, rejuvenation, water management, irrigation, and effectively serves as a climate shelter for people when they experience pronounced thermal discomfort at home," Cordeau said as he strolled through the verdant oasis surrounded by modern residential buildings. Where planting trees and restoring soil isn't feasible, simple technical adaptations can help. "It's quite simple, but when there are no shutters today, we've seen examples where shutters can be installed, solar shades are added to buildings, or even above a street where it's not possible to add vegetation, we can indeed use shading textures, as seen in Seville, for instance," Cordeau said. As Europe endures the severe heat wave with record-breaking temperatures, experts have linked the rising frequency and intensity of the extreme weather to climate change. Scientists warn that such extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common, in particular across Europe's southern regions.
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
'I lost my battle': warming sea killing Albania fishing
Albanians like him have lived off the sea for generations, but Kocaj fears his way of life in the Bay of Vlore is coming to an end, with warming waters shrinking his catch every year. "I lost my battle with the sea. I loved it, but it betrayed me," the father of four told AFP. As Europe bakes in the first heatwave of the summer, sea temperatures are climbing too. By the end of June, the sea off the Albanian coast had already reached 25.5 degrees Celsius (77.9 degrees Fahrenheit) — 1.5 degrees higher than it was at this time last year. "My luck deserted me a long time ago," Kocaj said, dejected by his meagre catch. "Look at my almost empty nets," sighed the 65-year-old, as he prepared to return to port. A few years ago, he was still able to provide for his family. But now, he said, he's ruined. "The rising temperatures have been a fatal blow to the fish, and to us too," he added, struggling to hide his tears. Fish have 'almost disappeared' In Vlore, Kocaj estimates fish populations have declined by 70 percent. The situation is no better outside the inlet, where even larger fishing boats in deeper water are struggling, and forecasts are not optimistic. Reshat Xhelilaj, head of the fishing and aquaculture sector in Vlore, told AFP that he expects a hotter summer than 2024, which saw a deep-sea temperature of up to 30.5C (86.9F). Walking down the dock, dragging a small bucket half-filled with fish, Kocaj said that around five years ago he could have returned with up to 10 kilos (22 pounds) of hake per day. Back then, he and his brother fished together. And even with much smaller nets, they brought home enough fish to support both their families. Now he's alone, and despite casting a kilometre of net and spending hours at sea, he is lucky to come back with two kilos of anything. "They've almost disappeared," he said of his once-abundant catch. 'Devastating' "Climate change is a major factor in the decline of fish populations," said Nexhip Hysolokaj, a biology researcher at Tirana's Polis University. Rising temperatures make it difficult for many marine organisms to reproduce and grow, particularly those adapted for cooler waters. At least a dozen species of fish, usually found in the Indian and Pacific oceans, are now crowding out local species that are essential to the food chain, such as the endangered sardine, he said. In Kocaj's catch lies the proof, a highly venomous lionfish, which is common in the Caribbean. "To his misfortune and mine, it ended up in my nets," the fisherman said. The spiny fish is edible if cleaned and prepared correctly, and campaigns are underway to help fishermen turn this tropical invader into a profitable alternative. "Climate change has had devastating effects," warned Captain Baci Dyrmishi, head of the marine fishing association in the bay. "Temperatures are exceeding forecasts, and the waters are overheating." Baci said that as the catch shrinks, the number of those living off the sea is dwindling too, and many are leaving the idyllic coastal city to make a living elsewhere. On the quay at Radhima, once home to over a dozen vessels, only three or four now dock. © 2025 AFP
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
Cooler temperatures coming to Europe after scorching heatwave
After days of record-breaking heatwaves across Europe, relief will start to arrive from the Atlantic on Wednesday, bringing thunderstorms and cooler temperatures to parts of western Europe. Paris hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, but the high will drop to 35C on Wednesday and to 28C on Thursday, Météo-France forecast. "Our latest forecasts confirm the arrival of cooling from the west on Wednesday, which will quickly affect the northwest of the country," Météo-France said, adding that there could be heavy thunderstorms late Wednesday and Thursday in the east along the German border. Germany 's national weather service is forecasting a peak of 40C on Wednesday in the economic capital Frankfurt, but that will plummet to 27C by Thursday. Spain and Italy, meanwhile, may have to wait for the weekend to see some limited relief. On Tuesday, around 2,200 schools were shut in France because of the heat, but only about 135 are expected to be kept closed Wednesday, the education ministry said. Météo-France said June 30 was the hottest June day since measurements began in 1947, beating out a record set in 2019. Similar records were set Tuesday in Portugal and the Netherlands. "For the continent as a whole, the month is likely to be ranked among the top 5 warmest Junes on record," said the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. On Sunday, in a case of two extremes, the Mediterranean Sea hit a record-high temperature for June while Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, went above freezing, a rarity for this time of year. In Turkey, forest fires that broke out over the weekend around Izmir in the west and Hatay in the south were largely brought under control, authorities said Tuesday evening, though they warned about continued risks from dry, hot winds. 'Silent killer' Tens of thousands of people have died in Europe during past heatwaves, prompting authorities to issue warnings for old and young, the sick, and others vulnerable to what experts call a "silent killer". On Tuesday, police in Spain said a two-year-old died in the country's northeast after being left in a car in the sun for several hours. "Due to climate change caused by humans, extreme heat is becoming more frequent and intense. This is something we must learn to live with," said Clare Nullis, spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a UN agency based in Geneva. Extreme heat can cause dehydration, muscle cramps, headaches and nausea. The most serious risk is heatstroke, which can lead to death, especially in vulnerable people. Free guided tours of air-conditioned museums in Venice and free access to swimming pools in Rome were offered to protect seniors. According to a report by Allianz Trade on Tuesday, the European economy could lose 0.5 percentage points of growth this year due to recent heatwaves. The health impact will take longer to assess. According to France's Ministry of Health, an initial estimate of excess mortality during the period will be available approximately two weeks after the end of the heatwave, but detailed data based on medical data will not be available until the fall.
