Sky News was interrupted for a tragic breaking update as presenter Gareth Barlow revealed that hundreds of people have died because of the heatwave sweeping across Europe. Red weather alerts were issued across the UK earlier this week as temperatures hit as high as 40 degrees Celsius. However, England was not the only country to endure record-breaking temperatures, as the heatwave also swept across France and Spain.
Spain Reports 212 Deaths Linked to Extreme Heat
Tragically, Spain's public health body estimated that 212 deaths were linked to the extreme heat affecting western Europe. Barlow stated: "Europe is experiencing severe weather. Nearly all of the deaths in Spain, 212 of them, have been recorded in people aged over 65 years. It's as the country reaches its highest daily average temperature since 1950." He added: "Climate change, the driving force behind these temperatures in Europe. The most of any of the continents facing that impact of climate change. The heatwave is driven by a weather pattern known as the Omega block. It's pushing temperatures up as much as 18 degrees above normal."
Dr Hilary Warns of Risks on GB News
On Wednesday (June 25), Dr Hilary appeared on GB News to issue a warning to all Brits about the rising temperatures. He noted that babies, elderly people, those with pre-existing medical conditions, or those on certain medications are at greater risk from extreme heat. He said: "In Europe, where we say that they know how to deal with the heat, they've had 200,000 extra deaths in the last four years just from the heat in people who were vulnerable and people with pre-existing medical conditions. They've had 40 deaths in the last 24 hours of people in cold water shock or drowning and we've had 15 deaths from similar incidents in the last few days here in the UK."
Risks of Alcohol and Dehydration
Dr Hilary added: "Alcohol alone, which thousands of gallons are consumed in weather like this, is a factor in making people dehydrated. Because it dilates blood vessels in your skin, you feel cool but your core temperature is very high. This can lead to heat exhaustion very quickly." He urged viewers to be cautious and not take things for granted, but to "enjoy the sun sensibly".
