Latest news with #AgnèsPannier-Runacher
NBC News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- NBC News
As Europe swelters in extreme heat, Eiffel Tower closes its top level and a Swiss reactor shuts down
Extreme temperatures soared across Europe on Wednesday as several countries issued heat alerts, with a Swiss power company shutting down one of its reactor units, France partially closing the Eiffel Tower and two people in Spain dying in a heat wave. In Switzerland, energy company Axpo shut down one of the reactor units at its Beznau nuclear power plant because of high water temperature in the River Aare. The plant, which typically takes cooling water from the river for use before returning it, is prevented from doing so by Swiss regulations when temperatures reach 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher to avoid causing damage to aquatic fauna and flora. 'Due to the high river water temperatures, Axpo has been increasingly reducing the output of the two reactor units at the Beznau nuclear power plant for days,' the company said in a statement Wednesday, adding that one unit was currently operating at 50% capacity. In France, the national weather service Wednesday issued a rare red alert in four regions where the heat wave was expected to last until 9 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET). In Paris, officials said the Eiffel Tower's top level would remain closed to visitors because of the current heat wave. According to its website, rising temperatures cause the puddled iron of the tower to expand in size and tilt slightly, but without causing any impact to its structural integrity. French Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said at a news conference Wednesday that firefighters had responded to more than 300 weather-related emergencies. Meanwhile, a wildfire in Spain's Catalonia region killed two people Tuesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said. 'My sympathy goes out to all those affected and my gratitude to the emergency services working to extinguish the fire,' Sánchez wrote in a post on X on Wednesday, adding, 'In these months of heightened risk, please let us take extreme precautions.' In a separate post on X, Catalonia's civil protection services said Wednesday that it was still working to extinguish the fire that was ablaze in three different areas and warned of a 'high risk of forest fires' in two more. Spain recorded its hottest June to date with temperatures passing 40 C (104 F) in some of its cities Tuesday. In the United Kingdom, the national weather service said last month's mean temperature of 16.9 C (62°F) was the second warmest June recorded in the country since record keeping began in 1884. Studies have shown that climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves around the world. As the world continues to warm, these extremes are expected to compound, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, which said the region is heating up at twice the global average speed. On Monday, the United Nation's human rights chief, Volker Turk, said the heat wave underscored the need for climate adaptation by moving away from fossil fuels, the main cause of climate change, according to the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 'Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts, and wildfires threaten our rights to life, to health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and much more,' Turk said. Other European countries also felt the sweltering effects. The Italian Health Ministry issued heat wave red alerts for 16 cities, including Rome and Milan. In 13 regions, including Lombardy and Emilia, people were advised not to venture outdoors for work during the hottest periods of the day. Two people in the country died from separate heat-related causes, including a 47-year-old working on a construction site near Bologna. In Turkey, wildfires burned for a second day and more than 50,000 people were evacuated by rescuers Wednesday, according to the AFAD emergency management authority. The blistering temperatures were caused by a 'heat dome,' a high-pressure system that stalled over western Europe, trapping hot air from northern Africa over the region — akin to a lid on a pot of boiling water. Heat domes can linger for days or weeks, driving up heat and humidity for extended periods of time.
Local France
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Local France
Red weather warnings lifted as French heatwave reaches peak
Central France and the greater Paris region have been under a rare red level heatwave alert - signifying a danger to life - as soaring temperatures gripped Europe. However the French forecaster Météo France expects the heatwave to peak on Wednesday, lifting weather warnings for some parts of the country. Just four départements - Aube, Cher, Loiret and Yonne - remain on red alert on Wednesday, while the Paris region drops back down to an orange level alert. Météo France's map of heatwave warnings Warnings have been lifted from the west and south-west of France, with the heat gradually moving off to the east. Advertisement By Thursday temperatures are expected to have dropped back to seasonal norms, with alerts lifted across the whole of northern France. Environment minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said that at least two deaths have been linked to extreme temperatures in recent days, while 300 people have received emergency treatment for heat-related health problems. Full figures on excess deaths will not be available until later in the summer. Tuesday saw extremely high temperatures across the country - 41.3C in Nîmes, 39.3C inToulouse, 40C in Le Vigeant, Vienne and 41.2C in Châteaumeillant, Cher - although none of the records set in the 2019 heatwave were toppled. Paris saw a sizzling night with temperatures still at 36C by 10pm. Screenshot of the 10pm temperature in Paris and surrounding region. Meteo France Across the country schools closed and local authorities activated emergency heatwave plans. The Golfe nuclear reactor in south-west France was shut down because the neighbouring River Garonne was too hot to cool the reactor - it is not expected to start up again until Sunday - while two other nuclear reactors reduced their capacity because of the heat.
MTV Lebanon
01-07-2025
- Climate
- MTV Lebanon
Two Dead in Italy as Heatwave Scorches Much of Europe
Two people have died in Italy as temperatures continue to soar amid an intense heatwave across Europe. In Bologna a 47-year-old died after falling ill on a construction site while a 70-year-old man was reported drowned during flash flooding at a tourist resort to the west of Turin. Elsewhere on the continent, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated because of wildfires in western Turkey, while the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris has been closed because of the heatwave. Parts of Spain and Portugal recorded their highest ever June temperatures, with 46C registered at El Granado in south-west Spain, a day after records were broken in Mora in central Portugal. Spain's Aemet meteorological agency said that several places across the Iberian peninsula had topped 43C, but a respite in temperatures was on its way from Thursday. Night-time temperatures recorded overnight into Tuesday hit 28C in Seville and 27C in Barcelona. In Turkey, rescuers evacuated more than 50,000 people - mostly from the western province of Izmir - as firefighters continued to put out hundreds of wildfires that had broken out in recent days. Fires have also swept through parts of Bilecik, Hatay, Sakarya, and Manisa provinces. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said over the past three days, emergency teams had responded to 263 wildfires nationwide. In France, many cities experienced their hottest night and day on record for June on Monday, but forecasters have said the heatwave should expect to peak on Tuesday. Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher called an "unprecedented" situation. For first time in five years the Paris region has activated a red alert, along with 15 other French regions. The Ministry of Education has said 1,350 public schools will either be partially or completely closed on Tuesday. A reading of 46.6 C (115.9F) was registered in Mora, Portugal, about 60 miles east of Lisbon on Sunday. Portuguese weather officials were working to confirm whether that marked a new record for June. In Italy, the Tuscany region has seen hospital admissions rise by 20%, according to local reports. Italians in 21 out of the 27 cities have been subjected to the highest heat alert and 13 regions, including Lombardy and Emilia, have been advised not to venture outside during the hottest periods of the day. In Lombardy, working outdoors has been banned from 12:30 to 16:00 on hot days on building sites, roads and farms until September. Temperatures in Greece have been approaching 40C for several days and wildfires hit several coastal towns near the capital Athens destroying homes and forcing people to evacuate. Parts of the UK were just shy of being one of the hottest June days ever on Monday. The highest UK temperature of the day was recorded at Heathrow Airport in London at 33.1C. Meanwhile, Wimbledon recorded a temperature of 32.9C, the tennis tournament's hottest opening day on record. In Germany, the country's meteorological service warned that temperatures could reach almost 38C on Tuesday and Wednesday - further potentially record-breaking temperatures. The heatwave lowered levels in the Rhine River - a major shipping route - limiting the amount cargo ships can transport and raising freighting costs. Countries in and around the Balkans have also been struggling with the intense heat, although temperatures have begun to cool. Wildfires have also been reported in Montenegro. While the heatwave is a potential health issue, it is also impacting the environment. Higher temperatures in the Adriatic Sea are encouraging invasive species such as the poisonous lionfish, while also causing further stress on alpine glaciers that are already shrinking at record rates. The UN's human rights chief, Volker Turk, warned on Monday that the heatwave highlighted the need for climate adaptation - moving away from practices and energy sources, such as fossil fuels, which are the main cause of climate change. "Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts, and wildfires threaten our rights to life, to health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and much more," he told the UN's Human Rights Council. Heatwaves are becoming more common due to human-caused climate change, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Extreme hot weather will happen more often – and become even more intense - as the planet continues to warm, it has said. Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading in the UK, explained that rising greenhouse gas levels are making it harder for the planet to lose excess heat. "The warmer, thirstier atmosphere is more effective at drying soils, meaning heatwaves are intensifying, with moderate heat events now becoming extreme."
LeMonde
01-07-2025
- Climate
- LeMonde
Schools close, nuclear reactor shuts down and pollution peaks as France's heatwave drags on
Red and orange warnings have covered nearly the entire country, with only a few green patches along the English Channel, as France endures its first major heatwave of the season. On Tuesday, July 1, and Wednesday, July 2, France is bracing for the peak of an exceptionally long and intense heatwave that has already persisted for 13 days. On Monday afternoon, Météo-France, the French national meteorological service, prepared the country by placing 16 departments on red alert, the highest surveillance level set in consultation with the public health agency Santé Publique France and the Directorate General for Health. All departments in the Paris region were included, along with parts of the Centre-Val de Loire and Grand-Est regions. Another 68 departments remain on orange alert. Only five departments in the northwest, benefiting from maritime air, escaped the extreme heat. Today, 88% of mainland France's population is living in departments under close watch. "This is unprecedented in terms of area covered," said Minister for Green Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher, noting that "only" 81 departments were placed on orange alert on July 23, 2019. "This heatwave is remarkable for how early it began and how long it is lasting, probably about 15 days," analyzed Matthieu Sorel, a climatologist at Météo-France, recalling that the 1976 heatwave, the longest in recorded history, lasted 14 days. "But we are currently experiencing much higher temperatures. Global warming has taken its toll," he added.
Saudi Gazette
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Saudi Gazette
'Unprecedented' alerts in France as blistering heat grips Europe
PARIS — A record number of heat alerts are in place across France as the country, and other parts of southern and eastern Europe, remain in the grip of soaring temperatures. Sixteen French regions, including Paris, have been placed on red alert for Tuesday, the country's highest, while 68 others are on orange alert. On Monday, 84 of 96 mainland regions were under an orange alert, which France's Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher called an "unprecedented" situation. Heat warnings are also in place for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the UK and Balkan countries including Croatia. Both Spain and Portugal had their hottest June days on record at the weekend. El Granado in Andalucía saw a temperature of 46C on Saturday, while 46.6C was recorded in the town of Mora in central Portugal on Sunday. Many countries have emergency medical services on standby and have warned people to stay inside as much as possible. Nearly 200 schools across France have been closed or partially closed as a result of the heatwave, which has gripped parts of Europe for more than a week now but is expected to peak mid-week. France's red alert will come into effect at 12:00 local time on Tuesday. Several forest fires broke out in the southern Corbières mountain range on Sunday, leading to evacuations and the closure of a motorway. The fires have since been contained, officials told French media. Meanwhile, 21 Italian cities are also on the highest alert, including Rome, Milan and Venice, as is Sardinia. Mario Guarino, vice-president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, told AFP news agency that hospital emergency departments across the country had reported a 10% increase in heatstroke cases. Parts of the UK were just shy of being one of the hottest June days ever on Monday. The highest UK temperature of the day was recorded at Heathrow Airport in London at 33.1C. Meanwhile, Wimbledon recorded a temperature of 32.9C, the tennis tournament's hottest opening day on record. Meanwhile, heat alerts across Spain, which is on course to record its hottest June on record, remained in place. "I can't sleep well and have insomnia. I also get heat strokes, I stop eating and I just can't focus," Anabel Sanchez, 21, told Reuters news agency in Seville. It is a similar situation in Portugal, where seven districts, including the capital, Lisbon, are on the highest alert level. In Germany, the country's meteorological service warned that temperatures could reach almost 38C on Tuesday and Wednesday - further potentially record-breaking temperatures. The heatwave lowered levels in the Rhine River - a major shipping route - limiting the amount cargo ships can transport and raising freighting costs. — BBC
