Heatwave tightens grip on Europe: more than 20 weather-related deaths in France and Germany, red alert issued
Europe remained under the influence of an intense heatwave on Monday, with authorities in several countries issuing red alerts, closing schools, disrupting transport services and warning residents to avoid prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures.France is one of the worst-affected countries, with temperatures expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius in parts of the southwest. Authorities placed dozens of regions under the highest heat alert level and closed or shortened school hours at thousands of schools. The UK issued a rare red warning for extreme heat, while Italy, Spain and Belgium also recorded unusually high temperatures.The dire situation has been linked to multiple deaths across the continent. Two children aged two and four were found dead in a family car in the southern French town of Carpentras, with investigators saying a heat wave was the most likely cause. French authorities also reported that 13 people, including a 13-year-old girl, drowned while seeking refuge from the heat over the weekend and at night, and three elderly people died from the heat.German police said five people died in swimming accidents due to hot weather over the weekend.French Health Minister Stephanie Riester warned that the country would face several more days of extreme temperatures. “We’re going to have at least a few days of very, very hot weather. We don’t know when the temperatures are going to start to drop,” she said.The heat wave also puts pressure on infrastructure. Rail services were reduced in parts of France and Belgium, schools closed early in the UK and Italy’s electricity company reported increasing pressure on the grid as air conditioning use surged.Scientists say the latest heat wave reflects a broader warming trend driven by climate change. A study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change found that the number of people experiencing dangerous heat stress has increased significantly globally over the past five years.Research shows that the proportion of the global population experiencing at least one day of extreme heat stress each year has increased from 16% in the 1970s to 22% in 2024, putting approximately 1 billion people at potential risk. The researchers also found that heat waves are becoming more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting, with Europe being one of the fastest-warming regions.
