France has issued a 'red alert' heat warning, cancelling trains, concerts, and sports events, and cracking down on public drinking as an exceptional heatwave spreads across parts of Europe. Spain’s Basque Country cancelled some sports and cultural events, while Italy expanded heat warnings to eight cities. Multiple drownings were reported as people sought relief in water.
Red Alert in France
About a third of France is under a “red alert” heat warning, with temperatures reaching 40°C in some areas. The forecast for Monday is even hotter. The Eiffel Tower and other Paris venues set up misting stations to cool crowds. France’s annual Music Day on Sunday was of particular concern, with some concerts outside Paris cancelled. The government banned public drinking in “red alert” zones and ordered event organisers to limit alcohol consumption to “preserve emergency services and allow medics to concentrate on taking care of the most vulnerable.” Scores of French trains were cancelled, and the national rail authority dispatched thousands of extra staff to deal with potential problems as heat threatened rails and electrical cables.
Spain and Italy Affected
Spain kicked off the summer with large parts of the country on alert due to temperatures expected to hover around 40°C, even in the interior of Basque Country, a northern region that typically experiences cooler temperatures. Authorities suspended outdoor sports and cultural activities in the region. The heatwave is expected to scorch Spain at least until Wednesday. In Italy, authorities expanded heat warnings — referred to locally as “red flags” — to eight cities in northern and central parts of the country. Temperatures there are mostly in the upper 30s. At one farm outside Milan, owners set up fans and sprinklers to keep cows cool, while visitors to Milan Fashion Week huddled under parasols and clutched fans.
Drownings and Heat-Related Deaths
French media reported that four children drowned on Saturday. Summer drownings are an annual problem that health authorities say worsens during hot spells. In Germany, a 23-year-old man drowned on Saturday in a lake near Rheinstetten in Baden-Wurttemberg, according to the German news agency dpa. Three other people are missing after swimming in the Rhine River, a police spokeswoman told dpa. More than 200,000 people across Europe died from heat-related causes over the last four years, and most of the fatalities were preventable, the World Health Organisation’s Europe office said this month.
Government Response
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened a new government heat crisis meeting on Sunday and ordered ministers to plan for better adapting France to heat waves in the future — including “via air conditioning, if necessary.” The government mobilised emergency services and military forces for reinforced wildfire readiness, imposed tightened surveillance of water supplies to France’s many nuclear reactors, and ordered 845 schools to close on Monday. Authorities are notably worried about people living on the streets and elderly people in nursing homes or isolated in their homes. About 15,000 older people died in France in a 2003 heat wave that became a national reckoning.
Climate Change Link
Human-caused climate change is tied to increasing extreme weather events, and UN climate agency projections say the next five years should shatter more heat records. A rapid study found that human-caused climate change was responsible for killing about 1,500 people in an unusually early European heat wave in May. The German Weather Service is forecasting temperatures of up to 37°C for Monday and Tuesday, and up to 39°C on Wednesday. Thunderstorms also threatened regions in Germany and Poland.
