Latest news with #AgnesPannier-Runacher
Dubai Eye
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Dubai Eye
Two die in Spain wildfire, two deaths in France from European heatwave
Wildfires have killed two people in Spain and two others have died in France because of a heatwave that has gripped Europe and forced the closure of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant. With scorching temperatures again on Wednesday, Spanish officials said a wildfire in Catalonia had killed two people a day earlier and France's energy minister reported two deaths with a direct link to the heatwave, with 300 others taken to hospital. Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities because of the extreme heat and Turkey has been tackling wildfires in what meteorologists say is an "exceptional" heatwave because it has come so early in Europe's summer. The blaze in Torrefeta in the Catalonia region of Spain destroyed several farms and affected an area stretching for about 40 km, official said. It was largely contained though more wind and thunder storms were expected on Wednesday. "The fire was extremely violent and erratic due to storms and strong winds, generating a convection cloud that complicated extinguishing efforts," the fire service said. Authorities in the Spanish city of Barcelona said on Tuesday they were also looking into whether the death of a street sweeper at the weekend was heat-related. Spain experienced its hottest June on record this year, and France had its hottest June since 2003, Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said. Weather forecaster Meteo France said red alerts remained for several areas of central France, but that heat was easing in the west, though intense thunderstorms with possible heavy bursts of rainfall were expected in many parts of the east. Temperature highs were expected around 39 Celsius, with up to 34 C in Paris, and 36 C to 38 C in Strasbourg, Lyon, Grenoble and Avignon. In Italy, Florence was expected to bear the brunt of the heat with a top temperature of 39 C during the day. Red alerts were issued in 18 cities, including Milan and Rome. There was a risk of violent and sudden rain and storms, particularly along the central Appennine mountain region and Sardinia and Sicily. Swiss utility Axpo shut down one reactor unit at the Beznau nuclear power plant and halved output at another on Tuesday because of the high temperature of river water. Water is used for cooling and other purposes at nuclear power plants, and restrictions were expected to continue as temperatures are monitored. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are a cause of climate change, with deforestation and industrial practices being other contributing factors. Last year was the planet's hottest on record.
Observer
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Observer
Two dead as France registers second-hottest June on record
Paris: Two people died in France as a result of "heat-related illness", said the minister for ecological transition on Wednesday, as the country registered its second-hottest June since records began in 1900. A heatwave across Europe this week broke high temperature records, leading to the closure of nearly 2,000 schools in France at midday on Tuesday. "More than 300 people have been treated by firefighters and two have died following heat-related illnesses," ecology minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on Wednesday. "June 2025 has become the second hottest June since records began in 1900, behind June 2003," she added. T emperatures in June 2025 were 3.3 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average compared to 3.6 degrees Celsius in June 2003, her office said. Meteo-France said June 30 was the hottest day in June since measurements began in 1947, beating the previous record set in 2019. Relief will start to arrive from the Atlantic on Wednesday, bringing thunderstorms and cooler temperatures to parts of western Europe.
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First Post
02-07-2025
- Climate
- First Post
Heatwave across Europe leaves 8 dead as record early-summer temperatures spark wildfires and disrupt power
At least eight people have died due extreme heat across Europe, with wildfires killing 4 in Spain, 4 more deaths reported in France over two days, and soaring temperatures forcing the shutdown of a nuclear reactor in Switzerland read more Tourists, holding an umbrella to protect themselves from the sun, walk past a Ferris wheel in the Tuileries Garden on a sunny and warm summer day in Paris as an early summer heatwave hits France, on July 2, 2025. Reuters Wildfires on Wednesday killed two people in Spain and two others died in France because of a heatwave that has gripped Europe and forced the closure of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant. With scorching temperatures again on Wednesday, Spanish officials said a wildfire in Catalonia had killed two people a day earlier and France's energy minister reported two deaths with a direct link to the heatwave, with 300 others taken to hospital. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities because of the extreme heat and Turkey has been tackling wildfires in what meteorologists say is an 'exceptional' heatwave because it has come so early in Europe's summer. The blaze in Torrefeta in the Catalonia region of Spain destroyed several farms and affected an area stretching for about 40 km (25 miles), official said. It was largely contained though more wind and thunder storms were expected on Wednesday. 'The fire was extremely violent and erratic due to storms and strong winds, generating a convection cloud that complicated extinguishing efforts,' the fire service said. Authorities in the Spanish city of Barcelona said on Tuesday they were also looking into whether the death of a street sweeper at the weekend was heat-related. Spain experienced its hottest June on record this year, and France had its hottest June since 2003, Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said. Weather forecaster Meteo France said red alerts remained for several areas of central France, but that heat was easing in the west, though intense thunderstorms with possible heavy bursts of rainfall were expected in many parts of the east. Temperature highs were expected around 39 Celsius (102.2°F), with up to 34 C in Paris, and 36 C to 38 C in Strasbourg, Lyon, Grenoble and Avignon. In Italy, Florence was expected to bear the brunt of the heat with a top temperature of 39 C during the day. Red alerts were issued in 18 cities, including Milan and Rome. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There was a risk of violent and sudden rain and storms, particularly along the central Appennine mountain region and Sardinia and Sicily. Swiss utility Axpo shut down one reactor unit at the Beznau nuclear power plant and halved output at another on Tuesday because of the high temperature of river water. Water is used for cooling and other purposes at nuclear power plants, and restrictions were expected to continue as temperatures are monitored. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are a cause of climate change, with deforestation and industrial practices being other contributing factors. Last year was the planet's hottest on record.
NDTV
02-07-2025
- Climate
- NDTV
France Registers Second-Warmest June Since Records Began In 1900
France registered its second-warmest June since records began in 1900, said the country's ministry for ecological transition on Wednesday, as Europe swelters under an early summer heatwave. High temperatures across Europe this week broke records, leading to the closure of nearly 2,000 schools in France at midday on Tuesday. "June 2025 has become the second hottest June since records began in 1900, behind June 2003," Ecology Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on Wednesday. Temperatures in June 2025 were 3.3 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average compared to 3.6 degrees Celsius in June 2003, her office said. "More than 300 people have been treated by firefighters and two have died following heat-related illnesses," Pannier-Runacher added. Her office later clarified that the two deaths were not an official confirmation of the number of death but based on information from media reports. France's Health Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed it was "too early to take stock" of the consequences of the heatwave. "What I can say is that yesterday we saw an increase in emergency services activity in the Ile-de-France region, a serious increase of 15 percent," Vautrin said, speaking on television broadcaster BFMTV on Wednesday. The health ministry said that an initial estimate of excess mortality during the heatwave will be published around two weeks after it comes to an end. But a detailed report showing the number of deaths linked to the soaring temperatures with medical data will not be available until the autumn, it added. Around 3,700 heat-related deaths were reported in 2024, a year without red alerts for heatwaves. In 2023, which saw hotter summer temperatures, more than 5,000 deaths linked to heat were recorded. Relief will start to arrive from the Atlantic on Wednesday, bringing thunderstorms and cooler temperatures to parts of western Europe.
Euronews
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
June heatwave pushes Europe into record-breaking territory
As Europe bakes in its first major heatwave of the year, temperature records are being broken across the continent. During June, countries experienced temperatures more typical of July and August, with records broken from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean. The Portuguese weather service (IPMA) reported 46.6 °C in Mora on 29 June - the hottest ever recorded in mainland Portugal during June. Norway's Banak station reached 32.5°C, the highest temperature ever recorded within the European Arctic for the month. The extreme heat has brought health warnings, school closures and restrictions on outdoor work. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has said that for the continent as a whole, this month is likely to rank among the top five warmest Junes on record. How long will Europe's heatwave last? Scientists have said that this extended period of above-average temperatures is being caused by a heat dome. This is when a high-pressure area stays over the same place for days or even weeks, trapping the hot air below it. This acts something like a saucepan lid, causing temperatures to become hotter and hotter. Last week, a strong area of high pressure built over Western Europe. It extended up across Spain and Portugal into France, then spread to Germany and Italy over the weekend. After days of record-breaking heat, forecasters say there will be some relief on Wednesday into Thursday as thunderstorms and cooler temperatures arrive from the Atlantic, according to Météo-France. Spain and Italy may have to wait until the weekend to see temperatures begin to drop. France sees its second-hottest June since 1900 In France, temperatures of 40°C were recorded in Paris on Tuesday. The country's national weather agency placed several regions under the highest red alert. More than 1,300 schools were fully or partially closed across the country, and the summit of the Eiffel Tower has been closed to visitors until Thursday because of the heat. "June 2025 has become the second hottest June since records began in 1900, behind June 2003," French Ecology Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on Wednesday morning. 30 June was the hottest day since measurements began in 1947, according to Météo-France. Later, Pannier-Runacher added that more than 300 people have been taken into emergency care, and two had died as a result of heat-related illnesses. June 'pulverised' heat records in Spain Spanish weather service Aemet said that an 'extremely hot' June had 'pulverised records', surpassing the normal averages for July and August. It recorded an average of 23.6°C - the highest for the month in 64 years and 0.8°C higher than the previous record set in 2017. Provisional data shows that nine days in June broke records for their respective dates. Aemet says that in an 'undisturbed climate', five record warm days would be expected in an entire year. Ramón Pascual, a delegate for Spain's weather service in Barcelona, told The Associated Press the "very intense heat wave' is clearly linked to global warming. High sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean are not helping either, as they reduce any cooling effects a nearby body of water might have. Millions of Europeans are being exposed to high heat stress The June-July heatwave is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress, according to Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the ECMWF. 'And our reanalysis data shows that many Europeans have experienced very high temperatures for the period since the start of June,' she adds. 'The temperatures observed recently are more typical of the months of July and August and tend to only happen a few times each summer. We saw it again in 2024, the warmest year on record.' Burgess also says climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and more intense, and they are now impacting larger geographical areas. Hot spells like this could become more frequent in the UK The UK experienced its hottest day of the year so far on Tuesday with a recorded temperature of 34.7°C in London's St James's Park. Provisional data from the Met Office indicates that the country experienced its second warmest June since 1884. The average temperature for the month reached 15.2°C, only surpassed by June 2023, which saw average temperatures of 15.8°C. It follows a record-breaking spring that was officially the warmest and sunniest on record. June continued that trend, the Met Office said, marked by two heatwaves and high temperatures at the end of the month. 'While we've not conducted formal climate attribution studies into June 2025's two heatwaves, past studies have shown it is virtually certain that human influence has increased the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events such as this,' says Met Office climate scientist Dr Amy Doherty. Doherty adds that numerous climate attribution studies have shown that human influence increased the chance of specific heatwaves occurring, including those in summer 2018 and July 2022. "Our Met Office climate projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the southeast of the UK. Temperatures are projected to rise in all seasons, but the heat would be most intense in summer."
