Germany and Italy yesterday endured sweltering conditions as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in Western Europe spread eastward after temperatures broke records above 40°C.
The UK, France, Switzerland and Germany have experienced record heat this month, and the weather system could test more records as it rolls across Germany toward Poland.
Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without man-made climate change, which has made this week’s temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago.
Photo: AFP
On Friday, a new German record of 41.3°C was reached near the city of Saarbruecken close to the French border, a German National Meteorological Service spokesperson said, adding that the reading was still preliminary.
The service issued extreme heat warnings for nearly all of Germany yesterday as authorities urged people to save water.
Temperatures of 36°C were expected across the board in the country, with local highs of 42°C possible, it said.
In France, dozens of people, young and old, have died during the heatwave. Temperatures above 40°C have disrupted rail travel and power generation, sparked alcohol bans, suspended schools and postponed outdoor events.
“The heatwave is going to peak at the weekend at well over 40° in some parts of Germany,” meteorologist Karsten Brandt said.
The Italian Ministry of Health issued a red alert for the heatwave in 18 Italian cities including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna for yesterday and today, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 39°C in some areas.
Struggling with the prospect of damage to infrastructure, including buckling roads and swelling train tracks, some major public service providers have sought to reduce traffic.
German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn has given customers the option of canceling long-distance travel bookings into early next week without charge due to the heatwave.
The firm said its infrastructure is under strain, because of sun exposure and additional risk to signals, tracks and overhead wires stemming from thunderstorms and wildfires.
National Express said it would suspend trains on its Rhine-Ruhr-Express line yesterday afternoon in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, as a preventative measure in case services came to an unplanned halt.
The most extreme heat was forecast to begin fading at the weekend, with heavy thunderstorms expected today.
Across Europe, cultural landmarks have had to close, farming has suffered and some hospitals have struggled to cope.
The heatwave has pushed temperatures up to 18°C above their seasonal average, Reuters Climate Monitor showed, and is being driven by a phenomenon known as an “Omega block.”
This weather pattern traps a bulging ball of hot air over regions for extended periods, with cooler air on its fringes.
Most of the housing stock in Northern Europe is not built to withstand heat, but rather to keep it in.
The heatwave would begin shifting by the end of the month, hitting Central Europe and the Balkans, the World Meteorological Organization said.
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