Meteorologists expected temperatures to rise to 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Europe, with storms moving to other regions, while France announced a thousand deaths above the normal rate during the extreme heat wave.
The National Public Health Agency in France stated that most deaths resulting from extreme heat are among the elderly, warning that the number is likely to rise as more information is received regarding deaths in nursing homes and homes.
Scientists said that the heat wave that began on June 20 is the worst recorded in Europe, and that extreme heat conditions are disrupting power generation, damaging infrastructure, and putting pressure on health care systems.
“150 million people are currently living under extreme heat. Hundreds have died, schools have been closed, and electricity generation networks are under tremendous pressure,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on the X platform.
“Due to climate change and global warming, the heat wave phenomenon that used to occur once in a generation is now repeated almost annually. We have received warnings,” he added, adding that homes, workplaces and schools in Europe are not adequately equipped to face extreme heat.
Disturbances in transportation and energy supply
Estimates indicated that temperatures could reach or exceed 40 degrees Celsius in Germany, Poland and Italy, while storms raged in parts of France, resulting in further disruptions to transportation and energy supplies.
Train services were reduced on a major railway line in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany, and tram services were halted in the city of Leipzig in the east of the country. Local media reported that a large number of citizens reluctantly stayed in their homes, waiting for the sun to set so they could go out.
In Rome, Pope Leo of the Vatican thanked the worshipers for attending Sunday’s Mass in St. Peter’s Square despite the hot weather.
The extreme heat wave cast a shadow on Europe’s rivers, causing water levels to drop and their temperature to rise, causing problems related to electricity generation and agriculture.
The French Meteorological Service stated that the intense heat has subsided in most parts of the country, noting that several regions in the northeast of the country are still subject to hot weather warnings.
Health Minister Stephanie Rest told La Tribune that the impact of the heat wave may last 10 days after the weather improves.
“It is not over yet,” she told BFM.
The National Public Health Agency explained that most of the deaths were of people aged 65 years and over, but the repercussions of the extreme heat affected all groups of people.
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