The United Kingdom recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday, when temperatures reached 38.1C in west London, as an intensifying heatwave brought temperatures above 35C to several European countries.
More than 135 million people across Europe were forecast to endure the extreme heat, including in France, Italy, Spain and the UK. The conditions come during a summer marked by heatwaves, drought and wildfires across the continent.
Heat spreads across western and southern Europe
France’s Meteo weather service recorded 38C in Paris, while much of the country was placed on heatwave alert. In Spain, the Aemet weather agency recorded temperatures as high as 37C in the centre of the country.
Similar temperatures were forecast for 29 million people in Italy, particularly along the west coast, in the Po Valley, in the country’s southern “heel” and on the islands. Large parts of the Iberian Peninsula were also expected to be affected, with 25 million people forecast to face the heat in Spain.
Related coverage: Sea temperatures reached a July record during Europe’s extreme heat.
Hospitals in Britain report pressure from the heat
The Royal College of Nursing said nurses had collapsed from heat exhaustion while working in British hospitals that lacked adequate cooling. An NHS worker also reported more heatstroke cases and said hospitals were struggling to keep up.
The source material said patients in hospital were particularly vulnerable in the hot conditions, adding to pressure on healthcare staff as the heatwave continued.
Why the heatwave matters
Europe is the planet’s fastest-warming continent and is poorly equipped for hot weather in some places, according to the source material. A series of heatwaves and droughts has fuelled a summer of wildfires and been linked to thousands of deaths so far.
More context: EU urges faster climate action as wildfires rage in France and Spain.
Scientists attribute increasingly hot and frequent heatwaves to human-caused climate change.
Also read: Southwest Europe battles extensive wildfires amid record heatwaves and evacuations.
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