The United Nations climate chief has described the extreme early heat event sweeping parts of western Europe as 'a brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis', after France and the United Kingdom set new temperature records for May on consecutive days.
Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, stated on Wednesday that the 'main culprit' is humanity's burning of coal, oil and gas, which is known to be the primary driver of climate change.
'The science is clear that human-induced climate change is making these heatwaves more frequent and extreme,' Stiell said, as France, Spain and the UK experienced temperatures typically associated with July or August. 'Protecting human lives, businesses and economies from extreme heat and the many other soaring costs of climate change is core business for every nation, and it starts with kicking the fossil fuel addiction much faster.'
The war in the Middle East had exposed the 'soaring costs' of fossil fuel reliance and the necessity to shift to cleaner energy sources, Stiell added, also noting conditions exceeding 43C in India, where authorities have reported deaths from heatstroke.
Temperature Records Broken
A temperature of 35.1C (95.2F) was recorded at Kew Gardens in London on Tuesday, according to the UK Met Office, breaking the 34.8C record set a day earlier. These readings easily surpassed the previous record of 32.8C set in 1922 and equalled in 1944.
France, which anticipated local highs of 39C on Wednesday, also recorded its hottest May day ever on Tuesday. The national heat index, an average of 30 readings across the country, reached 24.8C, surpassing Monday's 24.6C, which was itself a record.
Météo-France, the national weather service, reported that a 'heat dome' — with heat held in place by a high-pressure weather front — was producing temperatures up to 13C higher than typical for this time of year.
Warnings and Precautions
Seventeen of France's 96 administrative departments, including Paris, were placed on an orange high temperature alert for Thursday, the second highest level, requiring the population to 'be very vigilant and take precautions'. Another 29 departments were under a more moderate yellow warning.
Scientists have stated that as the Earth warms, extreme heat events historically confined to high summer are becoming more frequent and intense, and are occurring earlier and later in the year, putting more people at risk.
'We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that events such as this have been made more likely and more severe due to climate change arising from our emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases,' said Peter Thorne, director of climate research at Maynooth University in Ireland, where a record May high of 28.8C was recorded on Monday. 'Nevertheless, many of the records being set, particularly in the UK and France, are mind-bogglingly crazy.'
Deaths and Drownings
French authorities reported at least seven deaths directly and indirectly linked to the high temperatures on Tuesday. These included two competitors in sporting events and five drownings as many people sought relief at swimming spots. Authorities in Britain said four teenagers have drowned in England since Sunday.
In Spain, where temperatures could reach 40C this week, an orange weather alert was issued for the Basque Country amid predictions that the northern region could reach 37C on Wednesday. Temperatures of 36C to 38C were forecast for southern regions, with a high of 38C in the south-western city of Badajoz.
Spain's state meteorological office, Aemet, said temperatures more normally seen in July had already been recorded across the country, and the heat was 'more characteristic of the dog days, the hottest period of the year'. Rubén del Campo, an Aemet spokesperson, added: 'Both this episode and the atmospheric pattern that's causing it are part and parcel of climate change and of what's been observed in recent years.'
