Washington [US], August 14: Many cities in Europe recorded record high temperatures during the ongoing heat wave, according to The Guardian on August 13.
In southwestern France , temperatures in the cities of Angouleme, Bergerac, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion and Saint-Girons reached record highs on August 11, with temperatures ranging from 39.8 to 43.1 degrees Celsius.
In Croatia, record temperatures were set in the cities of Sibenik (39.5 degrees Celsius) and Dubrovnik (38.9 degrees Celsius). Meanwhile, massive forest fires raged along the Croatian coast and affected neighboring Balkan countries.
In Italy, 16 of 27 major cities were on red heat alert and a four-year-old boy died of heatstroke. In Spain, the heat didn't break many records but still raised alarm bells.
"The main characteristic of this heatwave is not its intensity, but its duration and extent," said Jose Camacho, spokesman for the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet). "However, the temperatures are still very high overall."
Lauriane Batte, a scientist at the French meteorological agency Meteo-France, agrees that the geographical extent of the heatwave is significant. She says that since 1947, France has had 51 heatwaves, half of which occurred in the last 15 years.
"It's a clear sign that the climate is warming," said Batte.
Previously, in Northern Europe from late July to early August, there was also a heat wave, with unprecedented temperatures recorded in the Arctic Circle, at more than 30 degrees Celsius.
Hot weather across Europe has dried out vegetation and created conditions for wildfires to spread. Wildfires in Europe have burned more than 400,000 hectares of land so far this year, 87% more than the average for the same period in the past 20 years, according to data released on August 12.
Heat kills tens of thousands of people in Europe each year. CBS News reported last year that more than 47,000 people died in Europe due to heat in 2023. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in August 2024 that up to 175,000 people will die each year in Europe due to heat.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
