Europe swelters in latest wave of extreme heat

What the report says

Europe is facing another severe spell of hot weather, with millions of people in countries including France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom experiencing temperatures above 35C, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing weather agencies. The latest heatwave was especially intense on Thursday, when forecasters said more than 135 million people across the continent were expected to endure more extreme heat.

In the United Kingdom, the hottest day of the year was recorded in west London at 38.1C, slightly higher than the previous peak set in June. The report also said health services were feeling the pressure, with the Royal College of Nursing warning that some nurses had collapsed from heat exhaustion in hospitals that lack sufficient cooling. An NHS worker quoted by AFP described worsening conditions for patients and staff, and said hospitals were seeing more heatstroke cases.

France’s weather service recorded 38C in Paris, while large parts of the country were under heatwave alerts. In Italy, temperatures around 29 million people were expected to be affected, especially in western areas, the Po Valley and parts of the south and islands. Spain’s weather agency also reported highs of 37C in central areas.

The article notes that Europe is warming faster than any other continent and that repeated heatwaves and drought have contributed to wildfires and fatalities in recent summers. Climate scientists broadly attribute the growing frequency and intensity of such events to human-caused climate change.