Europe on High Alert and Expectations of Heatwave Expansion to the Balkans

SadaNews - It is expected that the heatwave currently affecting Western European countries will reach the Balkan region starting Saturday, with the entire Adriatic coast under red level warnings as of Friday, according to the "Meteo Alarm" agency.

Temperature levels are expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius starting from Sunday until at least next Monday in several regions of Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia, and Montenegro, according to various national meteorological agencies.

This comes as health authorities in Western Europe declared a state of high alert on Friday amid the intensifying heatwave, the second of its kind that has resulted in fatalities, especially with increasing pressure on healthcare systems.

Europe is experiencing extreme heat from the United Kingdom and France to Germany, Italy, Austria, and Serbia. Scientists have confirmed that this heatwave is the worst in Europe, as climate change occurs at a faster pace than anywhere else.

While the World Meteorological Organization estimated on Friday that the heatwave hitting Europe may be a record phenomenon, it also noted that it is too early to assert this. Claire Nullis, a spokesperson for the organization, said at a press conference in Geneva: "We may say at the end of the summer, when we look back at the season as a whole, that it is a record heatwave. But at this stage, the wave is still largely ongoing."

Nullis noted, "It is completely justified in several countries, such as France, to use the term record heatwave," but she reminded that "last year also had record heatwaves, but they affected a different part of Europe, specifically Scandinavia." She added: "We must not forget that we are still in the middle of this wave. It is unusual, but it is not exceptional; we have previously experienced similar heatwaves in June." She confirmed that "the current wave is continuous and is currently moving towards Central Europe and then towards the Balkans."

In a related context, the British Meteorological Office announced that temperatures in Suffolk, eastern England, reached 37.3 degrees Celsius on Friday afternoon, following the report of 36.9 degrees Celsius earlier in the day, thus breaking the record for the hottest days in June in the country for the third consecutive day.

Temperatures are likely to have peaked in France and the United Kingdom, where June records have been shattered. In Italy, temperatures are expected to rise further in the next two days, registering the first readings of this summer at 40 degrees Celsius.

In Germany, the National Weather Agency reported that the country temporarily recorded the highest temperature in its history on Friday, with 41.3 degrees Celsius in the southwestern state of Saarland. If this reading is confirmed, it will exceed the previous national record of 41.2 degrees Celsius, recorded on July 25, 2019.

At least 55 deaths related to the heatwave have been reported in France, where temperatures in Paris reached 40.9 degrees Celsius since Wednesday. Although a decrease in temperatures is expected, authorities anticipate more similar fatalities, particularly among individuals seeking cooling in unmonitored water areas.

In this context, Wilfried Samut, spokesperson for the French Emergency Physicians Association, stated that hospitals are not adequately prepared to face the current heatwave. He added, "The impact on mental health for healthcare workers is immense," stressing, "It is a disaster."

It is noteworthy that in the UK, just like in France, hospitals are exhausting their capacities, crisis units have been revived, and the death toll among the elderly, those with chronic illnesses, children, teenagers, and the homeless is being tallied, especially as the heat can lead to death, whether by drowning, heat exhaustion, or heart attacks caused by it.

For example, the "Georges Pompidou" European Hospital, one of the prominent medical institutions in Paris, is experiencing a "very critical" situation, according to the head of its emergency department, Philippe Jaufan, on Friday. He explained that "the corridors are crowded" with patients, "mostly elderly," including "those in their fifties and sixties" suffering from "severe heat exhaustion." He also pointed out that "homeless individuals are arriving with body temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius."

For his part, expert Paul Markert from "Vaisala" for meteorology mentioned that the European mainland will be experiencing temperatures 9 to 13 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average over the coming days, according to a report by Bloomberg today.

The extreme and early heat is exceptionally shedding light on how climate change is altering the nature of summer in Europe, which is experiencing the fastest rise in temperatures in the world. So far, the increase in temperatures has been concentrated in France, where the average daily temperatures have reached record levels.

Calculations by AFP revealed that over 50 million people in Germany and more than 30 million in France will suffer from temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Overall, more than 420 million people in Europe (excluding Turkey), or seven out of ten people, are expected to face extreme heat exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.

Data indicated that 150 million Europeans in two-thirds of France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Hungary were, on Friday, under the weight of oppressive weather with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, continuing the heatwave caused by a "heat dome" dominating Europe.

According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, the heatwave, which has raised temperatures by up to 18 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average, results from a weather pattern known as the "Omega block." This pattern leads to the trapping of a mass of hot air over certain areas for extended periods with cooler climates at its edges.

Moreover, the heatwave is having negative effects on the European economy, as it is accompanied by slow productivity and growth and rising prices. A report recently issued by Allianz Trade, a German company, noted that "extreme heatwaves," such as the one Western Europe faces for the second time in less than a month, "seem to be a structural economic threat specifically posed to Europe." The old continent has several vulnerabilities, including an aging population, building density, and low penetration of air conditioning, which is only available to an average of 19% of households, compared to about 90% in the United States.

Amid the severe heatwave recently impacting Western Europe, Swiss energy company "Axpo" announced on Friday a temporary shutdown of the "Beznau" station, the oldest operating nuclear plant in the world, due to rising temperatures in the Aar River used to cool the plant's reactors.

The company stated that water temperatures in the river reached 25 degrees Celsius on Thursday and Friday, necessitating this precautionary measure. The temporary closure, according to the nuclear power station operator, aims to protect the river's ecosystem and prevent fish deaths and other potential environmental impacts.

"Axpo" indicated that once river temperatures drop or are expected to decrease sufficiently, plans for restarting will be reconsidered. The output from the two reactors had been halved on Tuesday before the decision for complete shutdown was made.

It is worth mentioning that the "Beznau" station is located on an island in the Aar River in northern Switzerland, less than ten kilometers from the German border, and it first came into service in 1969.