France is facing an exceptional heat wave that has forced the cancellation of trains, concerts and sporting events, in addition to restricting alcohol consumption in areas under red alert. Almost a third of the country is at that level, with thermometers reaching 40°C. An even hotter Monday is forecast.
Authorities installed misting stations at the Eiffel Tower and other points in Paris to cool the population. However, drownings are increasing: French media reported four deaths of minors on Saturday, while swimming to beat the heat. In Germany, a man lost his life in the Rhine River and three people are still missing. Health authorities warn that these incidents worsen during periods of high temperatures.
Measures and concerns
The government banned drinking alcohol outdoors in areas under red alert and asked the organizers of Music Day – a festival that brings together crowds throughout the country – to limit alcohol consumption to “preserve emergency services and allow medical personnel to concentrate on caring for the most vulnerable.”
“In this heat, it’s the only way to have fun going out,” swimmer Nicolás Cruz told The Associated Press, while splashing in the Saint Martin Channel.
Zouzou Hobbs, initially skeptical about swimming in the murky urban canal, decided to take a chance: “But it’s hot. I’m going to take my chances. We need to cool off before tonight, when we’re going to be dancing.”
The authorities are especially attentive to homeless people and older adults. Some 15,000 older people died in the 2003 heat wave in France, prompting national reflection. This year, the government mobilized emergency services and armed forces to prepare for wildfires, imposed surveillance on water supplies for nuclear reactors and ordered the closure of 845 schools on Monday.
The heat spreads across Europe
Spain began the summer with much of the country on alert, with temperatures around 40 °C, even in the interior of the Basque Country. Outdoor sports and cultural activities have been suspended. In Italy, eight cities extended heat advisories (“red flags”), with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. In Milan, farm owners installed fans and sprinklers for cows, while Fashion Week attendees fanned themselves under umbrellas.
Germany expects up to 39C on Wednesday, and the UK has issued an “extreme heat” warning for southern England and Wales, with highs of 38C possible. The British Met Office recalled that the record for June is 35.6 °C since 1976. Thunderstorms threaten Germany and Poland.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called a crisis meeting and ordered planning for better adaptation to heat waves “through air conditioning, if necessary.” The World Health Organization said more than 200,000 people in Europe died from heat-related causes in the last four years, most of them preventable.
