In London, Heathrow Airport recorded a temperature of 90 degrees in June. In many countries around Europe, air-conditioning isn’t widely used/available, with only about 5% of residential homes having air-conditioning. In cities like London, people just “grin and bear it” as Michael Finch, a lawyer in London said as he made his way through The London Underground. Even the Royal Ascot had the highest temperature on record, making decision-makers suspend strict rules on dress code and allowing men to remove jackets and ties after the conclusion of the royal carriage procession.
Looking south in Spain, The State Meteorological Agency claimed that the heat-wave was the earliest in 40 years while France recorded a 104-degree temperature that set a record for early June. Multiple weather stations followed suit and reached record-breaking temperatures in their respective regions, with some areas reaching 107 degrees. In Spain, the heat-wave didn’t hesitate to give it France’s fate as well, with Spain’s Andujar region reaching 111.5 degrees. The heat-wave is expected to leave North-Western Europe by Friday and travel in a south-eastern direction, with Germany, Austria, and Poland predicted to have abnormally high temperatures during the weekend.
However, this shift in temperature isn’t just a high number; the heat comes with serious consequences. Spanish authorities have issued several heat warnings due to extreme risk of fires while evacuating civilians from areas already on fire. In Southern Spain hundreds of baby birds, primarily swifts, a protected species, have died from the high temperature levels. Biologist Elena Moreno Portillo said that the birds usually build nests inside the empty spaces in buildings, which are typically made out of concrete or metal, materials that conduct heat well. “So it becomes an oven and the chicks, who can’t fly yet, rush out because they can’t stand the temperature inside,” Moreno Portillo said. “They’re literally being cooked.”
Many of Europe’s most prominent rivers are facing critically low water-levels, with Italy’s Po River being so low that shipwrecks at the bottom of the river can be clearly seen; some are completely out of the water. These river conditions could potentially lead to major water shortages.
In Paris, city authorities encouraged residents and tourists to use a website online that provides information for 900+ “islands of coolness,” including city parks, cemeteries, swimming pools and museums. The site also shows “cooling routes,” streets that are lined with large trees that provide shade and connect the “islands of coolness.” Other French cities use cooling devices like machines that produce mist.
But climate scientists say that more needs to be done as climate change makes periods of intense heat earlier, more frequent, and longer. Hannah Cloke, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, said Britain was “really not prepared” for extreme heat, with offices, houses and nursing homes “not built to help keep people cool.” “People aren’t taking it very seriously. They think about ice creams and having fun, but they aren’t seeing the risk for vulnerable people,” she said. Hundreds of people in Britain die every year from heat waves. Extreme cases, like when 15,000 people died during a heat-wave in France in 2003, show that heat-waves pose a very real threat.
So what’s the takeaway from this June? We need to start acting on saving our climate before the heat-waves get out of control.
Looking south in Spain, The State Meteorological Agency claimed that the heat-wave was the earliest in 40 years while France recorded a 104-degree temperature that set a record for early June. Multiple weather stations followed suit and reached record-breaking temperatures in their respective regions, with some areas reaching 107 degrees. In Spain, the heat-wave didn’t hesitate to give it France’s fate as well, with Spain’s Andujar region reaching 111.5 degrees. The heat-wave is expected to leave North-Western Europe by Friday and travel in a south-eastern direction, with Germany, Austria, and Poland predicted to have abnormally high temperatures during the weekend.
However, this shift in temperature isn’t just a high number; the heat comes with serious consequences. Spanish authorities have issued several heat warnings due to extreme risk of fires while evacuating civilians from areas already on fire. In Southern Spain hundreds of baby birds, primarily swifts, a protected species, have died from the high temperature levels. Biologist Elena Moreno Portillo said that the birds usually build nests inside the empty spaces in buildings, which are typically made out of concrete or metal, materials that conduct heat well. “So it becomes an oven and the chicks, who can’t fly yet, rush out because they can’t stand the temperature inside,” Moreno Portillo said. “They’re literally being cooked.”
Many of Europe’s most prominent rivers are facing critically low water-levels, with Italy’s Po River being so low that shipwrecks at the bottom of the river can be clearly seen; some are completely out of the water. These river conditions could potentially lead to major water shortages.
In Paris, city authorities encouraged residents and tourists to use a website online that provides information for 900+ “islands of coolness,” including city parks, cemeteries, swimming pools and museums. The site also shows “cooling routes,” streets that are lined with large trees that provide shade and connect the “islands of coolness.” Other French cities use cooling devices like machines that produce mist.
But climate scientists say that more needs to be done as climate change makes periods of intense heat earlier, more frequent, and longer. Hannah Cloke, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, said Britain was “really not prepared” for extreme heat, with offices, houses and nursing homes “not built to help keep people cool.” “People aren’t taking it very seriously. They think about ice creams and having fun, but they aren’t seeing the risk for vulnerable people,” she said. Hundreds of people in Britain die every year from heat waves. Extreme cases, like when 15,000 people died during a heat-wave in France in 2003, show that heat-waves pose a very real threat.
So what’s the takeaway from this June? We need to start acting on saving our climate before the heat-waves get out of control.
