Severe heat wave continues in many European countries today, Friday, where temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees tomorrow and Saturday.
Mathieu Sorel, a meteorologist with the French Meteorological Service, said that this was “the first seasonal heat wave recorded in France since 1947” and was an indicator of “climate change”. Meteorologists have warned that “Saturday afternoon temperatures will rise further” in the western part of the country, which could reach record levels.
Temperatures in the Carcassonne region of southern France reached 40.4 degrees Celsius, breaking a record for June in at least 13 regions on Friday.
The intensity of heat waves in Europe is a direct result of global warming.
In France, the heat wave spread to almost all countries and a red alert was issued for 14 districts in the southwest. Students in these areas were able to stay home on Friday.
“We are experiencing a very early heat wave, which will last longer than expected,” said French Health Minister Brigitte Borginon during a visit to a nursing home in the southwest of the country.
In Spain, firefighters are continuing to put out several fires across the country affected by the exceptional heat wave a week ago, and today, Friday, the temperature sometimes exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
The largest fire in the Sierra de la Culebra in the northwest of the country burned between 5,000 and 7,000 hectares of forest on Friday morning, the Castile-Lyon area reported.
In the northeast of the country, the region of Catalonia is also facing several fires. More seriously, it erupted near Baldomar in the province of Lleida, where the Catalan regional government said the fire had destroyed more than 940 hectares of forest.
This unusual heat wave in Spain this year led to a significant rise in temperature to 43 degrees and is expected to continue until Saturday.
In northern Italy, Lombardy is preparing to declare a state of emergency in the face of an unprecedented drought threatening crops and water is being distributed to several cities in the north of the country. The region, which includes important agricultural crops, is facing the worst drought in 70 years.
In Britain, temperatures rose above 30 degrees Celsius on Friday, the third consecutive day of the year in Britain, according to British news agency PA Media.
Heathrow recorded a high of 30.7 degrees Celsius after noon, according to the Meteorological Agency. It is likely to rise to 34 degrees Celsius in the southeastern region, where it will be a hot day, the Meteorological Center forecast.
This year’s record temperature was broken for the third day in a row, with the previous high being 29.5 degrees Celsius.