A severe heat wave continues across Europe, with Spain’s record heatwave causing more than 3,150 deaths in the last 5 days, Germany’s broke its six year heat record and temperatures exceeding 41 degrees Celsius.
Several European countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have closed tourist sites, and power outages are occurring in many areas due to increased electricity demand, with railway services also affected.
The western German city of Saar brucken recorded a temperature of 41.3 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature in the country’s history.
Meanwhile, the UK and Switzerland also recorded their highest temperatures for the month of June. The temperature in the village of Santon Downham in England was 37.3 degrees Celsius, while the temperature in the Swiss city of Basel was 38.8 degrees Celsius.
The heatwave in France has reached the Alps, and climbers and guides climbing the 4,800-meter-high snow-capped Mont Blanc are also feeling the heat.
Due to the intense heat, soft snow has made the routes more dangerous and climbers are forced to change routes. Climbers say that the snow on the mountains is soft and the wide cracks in it are making the conditions difficult and dangerous.
The highest temperature in more than 150 years was recorded in Denmark today, where the mercury reached 36.6 degrees Celsius. With this, the previous record of 36.4 degrees Celsius, which had been maintained since 1975, was also broken.
The longest river in Italy has begun to dry up and farmers fear severe drought. A heatwave has caused Italy’s longest river, the Po, to dry up rapidly, allowing seawater to enter the river, raising fears of a severe drought in northern Italy in July.
Meteorologists say the heatwave, which has moved across western Europe, is now set to bring scorching temperatures to the Balkans. Temperatures are expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius in parts of Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro.
Storm warnings have been issued for parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland after the heatwave. More than 63,000 lightning strikes have been recorded in the past 24 hours, causing more than 700 flights to be delayed.
Read also: Severe Heatwave in France Claims 40 Lives as Drowning Incidents Rise
