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Western Europe is dealing with a heatwave that killed dozens of people on Wednesday, which killed dozens of people, closed schools, slowed trains, cut off electricity and forced farmers to harvest grain at night.
In France, which on Tuesday recorded its hottest day since records began nearly 80 years ago, authorities sought to restore electricity to thousands of homes hit by blackouts in the northwestern region of Brittany. The recorded temperature reached 44.3 C in the southwestern town of Pissos.
Italy’s health ministry has issued a high heat warning for 16 cities, from Florence and Milan to Rome, Turin and Verona.
In Britain, on its hottest day of June, the Met Office weather service issued the second worst heat warning on record. Hundreds of schools remain closed or closed early, as high temperatures put even healthy people at risk.
At least 48 people have died in France from drowning while trying to find respite from the heat, and two children died from heatstroke in a car, authorities said.
Two elderly people have died from heatstroke in Spain, which has seen its worst temperature since last weekend at 40 C. Temperatures there were beginning to ease on Wednesday.
A deadly heat dome has settled in Europe, sending temperatures above 40 C in many places. In France, dozens have died, including 40 from drowning, as people seek relief from the heat.
A rare weather pattern known as the Omega block has been causing record temperatures across Europe, reaching 18 C above normal, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.
This situation is similar to the shape of the Greek letter Omega, which is in the middle of the catchment area to catch strong heat that flies in places for a long time, and cool weather at its edges.
Meteorological agency Meteo-France said the conditions were comparable to a heat wave in August 2003 that lasted 16 days and caused an estimated 80,000 deaths across Europe.
Europe is twice as hot as the global average, says the World Meteorological Organization, making longer heatwaves more common.
Workers in all industries are affected
In Paris, where the annual Fashion Week was underway, spectators could be seen panting and sweating during the Louis Vuitton show as male models showed off creations by pop singer Pharrell Williams. Labels including Dior and Rick Owens have changed their schedules to hold shows on cooler mornings, organizers said.
The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum are closed on Tuesday morning. In Switzerland, local authorities opened air-conditioned theaters for free daytime cinema screenings.
Construction contractors across the continent are changing working hours so workers can avoid the worst, while retailers are struggling to meet demand for fans and portable air-conditioners.
France’s agricultural federation said farmers are introducing night-time harvesting shifts to protect workers from the afternoon heat and fields from fire risk.
In Britain, the grid operator called on generators to make more power available amid soaring temperatures set to break records later on Wednesday.
Train operators warned of essential journeys only on Wednesday and Thursday, as the heat brought speed restrictions.
In Italy, conditions were expected to worsen, especially in central and northern areas, as the heat wave is likely to intensify between Sunday and Monday, meteorologists said.
Temperatures could reach 41 C between Tuscany and Emilia, while in coastal areas such as Liguria, a combination of extreme heat and humidity could drive temperatures expected to reach 45 C.
