Barcelona recorded its hottest June in over a century, the summit of the Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed to visitors and hundreds of French schools shut on Tuesday as Europe sizzled in its first major heat wave of the summer.
Health warnings remained in effect in several European countries. The worst was felt in southern Europe while punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius in Paris and to stay unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The abnormally hot weather “is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress” with temperatures in June more typical of July and August, said Samantha Burgess of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. This June is likely to be among the five hottest on record, it said.
“Extreme heat is no longer a rare event – it has become the new normal,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres tweeted from Seville, Spain, where temperatures hit 42 degrees Celsius. He called for action to fight climate change, saying “the planet is getting hotter and more dangerous.”
Dr. Hans Kluge, head of the World Health Organization’s Europe office, warned in a statement that the scorching heat “silently threatens the people who need protection most: older adults, children, outdoor workers and anyone living with chronic health conditions.”
Portugal
Portuguese authorities issued a red heat warning for seven of 18 districts as temperatures were forecast to hit 43 C (109F).
Spain
Spain’s national weather service said no relief from the first heat wave of the year is expected until Thursday. Sunday’s national average of 28 C (82F) set a new high temperature for June 29 since records were started in 1950.
France
In France, where air conditioning remains relatively rare, authorities were taking extra effort to care for homeless and elderly people. Misting stations doused passers-by along the River Seine in Paris.
France’s first significant forest fires of the season consumed 400 hectares of woods Sunday and Monday in the southern Aude region. Water-dumping planes and some 300 firefighters were mobilized, the regional emergency service said.
Turkey
In Turkey, forest fires forced the temporary closure of the airport in Izmir, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Authorities evacuated four villages as a precaution, the Forestry Ministry said.
Firefighters battled a blaze that broke out Monday near residential areas in Hatay province, near the border with Syria, that prompted 1,500 people to evacuate.
Italy
In Italy, the Health Ministry put 21 cities under its “red” alert, which indicates “emergency conditions with possible negative effects” on healthy, active people as well as others. Regional governments in northwestern Liguria and southern Sicily put restrictions on outdoor work.
There were torrential rains in the north, and parts of Bardonecchia near Turin were covered in sludge after the Frejus river burst its banks. RAI state television said one person was killed.
Britain
Britain’s national weather service said the Wimbledon tennis tournament was facing what could be its hottest start, with temperatures just under 30 C. Tournament rules allow players to take a 10-minute break when the heat goes above 30.1 C mid-match.
Germany
Temperatures in southern Germany were forecast as high as 39 C on Wednesday. Some towns and regions imposed limits on how much water can be taken from rivers and lakes.
At the Berlin zoo, elephants were showered with water and bears treated with blocks of ice containing fruit.
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