Heat Wave Hits Europe Hard: Casualties in Spain and France

SadaNews - Wildfires have claimed the lives of two people in Spain, while two others died in France due to a heat wave sweeping across Europe, leading to the shutdown of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant.

Spanish officials reported that a wildfire broke out in Catalonia, resulting in the deaths of two individuals the previous day. The French Ministry of Energy also announced the death of two people due to the heat wave, in addition to the hospitalization of 300 others.

French Energy Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher stated that Spain experienced its hottest June on record this year, while France recorded its hottest June since 2003.

Large parts of France experienced extreme heat yesterday, Tuesday, prompting the highest alert level to be raised in 16 areas, including Paris. Temperatures soared above 41 degrees Celsius in southern and central France, while the capital recorded 38 degrees.

Reports indicated that some regions in France experienced the highest temperatures ever recorded in July.

Similar record levels were also recorded on Tuesday in Portugal and the Netherlands.

In neighboring Germany, the weather service predicted that today, Wednesday, would be the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius.

German emergency services rescued dozens of passengers after they were trapped for two and a half hours inside a stalled train amid high temperatures last night, Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the federal police stated that the regional train stopped on a railway bridge in Lower Saxony due to a technical issue.

The technical problem also meant that the air conditioning system was only functioning partially, and soon the carriages became unbearably hot as the heat wave swept through Germany.

Subsequently, 48 passengers called emergency services for assistance. State police, federal police, nine ambulances, and four emergency doctors arrived to free the passengers from the train and provide medical care.

It was reported that five people received treatment from emergency services due to circulatory issues and dehydration.

The Swiss nuclear energy company "Axpo" shut down one of the reactor units at the Beznau nuclear power facility and reduced the output of another reactor by half on Tuesday following a rise in river water temperatures.

Last year was the hottest year on record for the planet.

Western European countries are preparing on Wednesday for a drop in temperatures after days of heat, with thunderstorms expected to arrive from the Atlantic Ocean, according to weather agencies.

Temperatures in Paris reached 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, but they are expected to peak at 35 degrees on Wednesday, dropping to 28 degrees on Thursday, according to the French meteorological agency.

In contrast, the German meteorological agency forecasted a maximum temperature of 40 degrees on Wednesday in Frankfurt, the country's economic capital, with a drop to 27 degrees on Thursday.

Temperatures are expected to remain high in Spain and Italy over the next few days, with a decline expected at the weekend.

While around 2,200 schools closed in France on Tuesday due to the heat, the Ministry of Education reported that only about 135 took similar action on Wednesday.

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts noted that "across the continent, last month is expected to be among the five hottest Junes on record."

Turkish authorities announced on Tuesday night that wildfires that broke out over the weekend near Izmir (west) and Hatay (south) are largely under control, despite warnings about the risks posed by dry and hot winds.

Previous heat waves in Europe have resulted in thousands of deaths, prompting local authorities to issue warnings, especially for young children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups, about the extreme heat described by the United Nations as a "silent killer."

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of the United Nations pointed out that "due to climate change, extreme temperatures have become more frequent and intense. This is something we must learn to live with."

Heat waves can cause dehydration, muscle cramps, headaches, and nausea, leading to fatal heat strokes, especially among vulnerable populations.