The German Meteorological Service expected the heat focus to shift east, after the hottest day of the year so far was recorded on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 103.1 degrees (39.5 degrees Celsius) in the west of the country.
Cities in Belgium and the Netherlands also Recorded temperatures Above 100 degrees, just shy of the records set in a heat wave in July 2019, According to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.
Meanwhile, firefighters in France, Spain, Greece and Britain battled bushfires exacerbated by rising temperatures. Authorities ordered a hospital in the Athens area to evacuate.
In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan said BBC public broadcaster That Tuesday was the brigade’s busiest day since World War II. Khan said an estimated 2,600 calls were made to the London Fire Service – far more than the average of 350 calls per day.
“HELLFIRE,” read the front page on Wednesday of Britain’s The Sun newspaper, as a major clean-up operation began in the affected communities. The phrase “London burns” went viral on Twitter as he shared some videos and photos of flames licking highways, decimating cars and homes across the city.
On Wednesday, temperatures in Britain dropped dramatically, bringing a cool breeze and some rain – although the Met Service warned of thunderstorms and the possibility of flooding.
Extreme drought conditions and extreme heat have sharply increased the chances of wildfires spreading, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Monitoring Service. Much of Western Europe was in ‘grave fire danger’ He said Tuesday.
Besides increasing carbon emissions from wildfires, “very high levels” of ozone pollution caused by the heat wave could affect northern and western Europe in the coming days, Copernican scientists warned.
Scientists said ozone is one of the main components of urban smog at low altitudes.
“The potential effects of severe ozone pollution on human health can be significant in terms of respiratory and cardiovascular disease,” Mark Barrington, chief Copernican scientist, said in a statement.
As some experts have pointed to the human-affected role of climate change in record temperatures, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a “Moment for Nature” on Tuesday.
“Our lifestyles – based on production, consumption, de-pollution and pollution – have brought us to this dire state,” Guterres said. He said in a video message.
But since human activities are the root cause of the planetary emergency, that means we, too, hold the key to the solutions. Now is the time to transform our relationship with nature and chart a new course.”
Hassan reported from London.
“Amateur organizer. Wannabe beer evangelist. General web fan. Certified internet ninja. Avid reader.”
More Stories
Ethiopian Airlines flight pilots fall asleep, miss landing
Chinese ship docks in Sri Lanka worries India, West: NPR
Emirates suspends all flights to Nigeria over funding dispute