June records fall in Britain and Switzerland
Britain and Switzerland registered record June temperatures on Thursday as a severe early summer heatwave continued to grip large areas of Western Europe.
The extreme conditions have caused dozens of deaths, disrupted electricity supplies, closed schools and forced authorities to shut or restrict access to cultural landmarks and public spaces.
Paris hospitals face growing pressure
French and British officials urged residents to change their daily routines to reduce the risk of overheating. In Paris, police announced that drinking alcohol in public would be banned from Friday midday as hospitals struggled with a rising number of heat affected patients.
French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said emergency departments were beginning to see more people arriving because of the heat.
Paris remained under intense heat after reaching a June record of 40.9 degrees Celsius, or 105.6 degrees Fahrenheit, on Wednesday. On Thursday, the temperature at Parc Montsouris in southern Paris peaked just below 40 C.
United Kingdom extends red alert
Temperatures in southwest England reached 36.7 C on Thursday. According to provisional data from the Met Office, that made it the hottest June day ever recorded in Britain, surpassing a record set only one day earlier.
The Met Office extended a red heat alert into Friday for a broad area of southern England. It was the first time such warnings had been issued for three consecutive days.
Andy Page, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, warned that significant disruption to normal life was likely and said the public should make every effort to adjust routines to cope with heat levels that have historically been extremely rare in the United Kingdom.
The Netherlands issued a similar warning for Friday.
Swiss temperature reaches 38 C
Switzerland also broke a June heat threshold. Meteorological authorities said temperatures rose above 37 C in June for the first time on record, reaching 38 C in Basel near the borders with Germany and France.
Germany, Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic are expected to face several difficult days as the most intense heat shifts further east and south.
Drownings add to the death toll
France introduced stronger heatwave measures after the 2003 crisis caused nearly 15,000 excess deaths, with older people particularly affected.
This time, officials are also concerned about active younger adults. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said people between 50 and 70 who are generally healthy may underestimate the risk and continue with normal routines despite the conditions.
At least 48 people have died by drowning in France since the start of the heatwave while trying to cool off, authorities said. Three young children have also died from heat exposure in cars in two separate incidents.
In Germany, more than 20 people have died in swimming related accidents since the end of last week, according to the German Life Saving Association.
Agriculture and outdoor work face heavy strain
The heatwave is expected to reduce production across several French agricultural sectors. Officials from the agriculture ministry cited cereals, livestock, poultry, fruit and vegetables as vulnerable areas, with field grown crops such as carrots particularly exposed.
Where crops suffer serious damage, prices are likely to increase, officials said.
In Italy, the heat could threaten the health of up to 1.5 million workers over the next three days, according to estimates from the CGIL trade union and Greenpeace Italy. The most exposed groups include builders, farmers and couriers.
Italian media reported that five people died on Wednesday in heat related incidents. Several regions have banned outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day, while the government said companies forced to suspend work because of the heat could access support funds for furloughed employees.
Omega block traps heat over Europe
The heatwave is being driven by a weather pattern known as an Omega block. According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, the setup is pushing temperatures as much as 18 C above normal.
The pattern takes its name from the Greek letter Omega because of its shape, with a large central zone that traps hot air over the same areas for prolonged periods while cooler weather remains along the edges.
Scientists say climate change is intensifying both heatwaves and storms. U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell said the current episode bears the clear signature of fossil fuel driven climate disruption, with schools closing, vulnerable people dying and economies struggling under the heat.
Schools close across France and Britain
French Education Minister Edouard Geffray said 13,500 schools were either closed or operating under special schedules on Thursday.
In Britain, more than 1,000 schools were closed or partially closed as classroom temperatures in some places climbed above 40 C. Authorities also expressed concern about children on playgrounds with little or no tree cover, especially because the end of the school term remains several weeks away for many pupils.
Tourists cut visits short
The heat also affected visitors. U.S. tourist Keaghan Cronin, who was in Paris with her children near sprinklers, said the spot offered some relief but the city had become too hot for her family.
She said her children were uncomfortable and that the family planned to leave Paris earlier than expected because of the conditions.
