London: Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world – but particularly in Europe with temperature soaring above 40 degrees Celsius. It is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.
This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe’s water supply, and more intense wildfires. Last year, more than 1 million hectares burnt across Europe – a record level – with Spain particularly affected. The heat is coming up from North Africa, into Spain and France, and hitting those countries like the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands that are just not used to this kind of oppressive heat.
Although temperatures in Spain are set to peak at 38-39C in some areas from Thursday, forecasters say a cooler mass of Atlantic air is coming in, after the highest June temperatures were recorded this week, with 45.1C in the southern town of Andújar on Monday.
In Germany, overnight temperatures in the southwestern town of Bad Bergzabern did not fall below 26.2C on Wednesday night, equalling a national heat record set in 2019.
Much of northern and southern Switzerland was put on maximum weather alert by MeteoSuisse, which warned of a “significant drought situation”.
Temperatures across the Czech Republic were well into the 30s on Thursday and the ČHMÚ Hydrometeorological Institute said the heat would intensify on Friday with temperatures climbing up to 40C at the weekend.
Weekend temperatures could also hit 40C in the Austrian capital Vienna, and a code red comes into effect in eight out of 12 provinces in the Netherlands from midnight on Thursday local time, with the chance of 39C in localised eastern areas.
The UK’s Met Office has extended its red extreme temperatures warning until Friday evening, for parts of London and south-eastern England.
In Italy, Florence’s Uffizi museum has halted ticket sales until 28 June, and only those with a previous booking will be allowed in.
