Outdoor public events have been banned in an area of France as record-breaking heatwave sweeps across Europe.
Concerts and large public gatherings have been called off in the Gironde department around Bordeaux (a port city in France). On Thursday, June 16, 2022, authorities reported that parts of France hit 40C, higher than what was recorded earlier in the year, with temperatures expected to peak on Saturday, June 18, 2022.
Scientists said periods of intense heat are becoming more frequent and longer, lasting as a result of global warming. Spain, Italy and the UK are also experiencing high temperatures.
‘The Worst Heatwave’
In Gironde, officials said public events, including some of the official June 18 Resistance celebrations, will be prohibited from Friday, June 17, 2022, at 14:00 (12:00 GMT) “until the end of the heat wave”. Indoor events at venues without air-conditioning are also banned. However, private celebrations, such as weddings, will still be allowed.
French Interior Minister, Fabienne Buccio, disclosed in a radio interview that “Everyone now faces a health risk”. The French Interior Ministry warned people to be extremely careful and not expose themselves to the weather.
State forecaster, Meteo France, found that it is the earliest hot spell ever to hit the country, which has caused a mass of hot air to move from North Africa. Temperatures could hit 39C in Paris and droughts also raised the risk of wildfires, the forecaster added.
“I’m 86 years old, I was born here, but I think this is the worst heatwave I’ve ever seen,” Jacqueline Bonnaud, a resident told reporters in the Southern City of Toulouse. Grid operator, RTE averred increased use of air-conditioners and fans is forcing France to import electricity from neighbouring countries.
An Earlier Experience in Neighbouring Nations
Elsewhere in Spain, which just experienced its hottest in May 2022, since the beginning of the century, temperatures are forecast to hit highs of 43C this weekend, the Aemet Weather Service disclosed.
There have been forest fires in Catalonia (a city in Spain known for the lively beach resorts of Costa Brava as well as the Pyrenees Mountains), including one which could grow to 20,000 hectares before it’s contained, the regional government said.
Water is so low in large stretches of Italy’s largest river, the Po, that locals can walk through the middle of the expanse of sand and wartime shipwrecks are beginning to resurface. In the UK, temperatures are expected to reach 33C in Southern England, while a level three heat-health alert has been issued for London.
Extreme heat isn’t confined to Europe this week. On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, a third of the entire population of the United States was advised to stay indoors due to high record temperatures. In India, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of at least 42C on 25 days this summer, the India Meteorological Department reported.
Climate Change
Climate change is causing global temperatures to rise. Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, released into Earth’s atmosphere in large volumes are trapping the sun’s heat, causing the planet to warm. As a result, it has brought more extreme weather, including record-breaking high temperatures across the world.
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