Europe is bracing for another day of an unprecedented heatwave that has smashed records in many countries. Italy’s health ministry has declared a red heatwave alert in 16 cities for Wednesday, including Milan and Rome, and in the UK, temperatures are expected to reach 40C in some areas.
Drivers of the Extreme Weather
The extreme weather is being driven by atmospheric and circulation patterns that keep hot air trapped in place for days, causing the mercury to slowly rise, with these factors exacerbated by global heating, experts say.
People swam at Canal Saint-Martin to cool off on Tuesday, as the heatwave continued to intensify across the continent.
UK Braces for Record Temperatures
The UK is braced for record-breaking temperatures, with schools to close and people urged not to travel. Temperatures could hit 40C on Wednesday and Thursday in some parts of England and Wales. A red weather warning for extreme heat is in place covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham.
France Records Hottest Day
On Tuesday, France registered its hottest day on record as 40 people across the country were confirmed to have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas over the last few days. More than 90% of the French population is exposed to extreme heat – government data shows – with temperatures of 39C to 41C expected on Wednesday from Brittany to the Paris region, and in much of the south-west.
Netherlands and Eastern Europe Affected
From Wednesday until at least Friday, central and southern Netherlands will be under a code orange for extreme heat. Anyone living in Amsterdam with a city pass may swim for free in six city outdoor pools, while the national rail company will run fewer trains on a number of routes from Wednesday due to the expected heat.
In the coming days, the heatwave is expected to extend into eastern Europe. Poland’s weather service issued high-level heat warnings for the western part of the country from Thursday to Saturday, forecasting temperatures could break records. Croatia’s popular Adriatic coast was also put under red alert for Friday and Saturday. Hungary, already under a second-level heat alert, said it was raising that to the maximum level from Saturday to Tuesday as temperatures continued to rise.
