Paris: A severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has claimed at least 18 lives in France, including two young children who died in a car overheating incident, as temperatures soared to record highs in several areas.
According to Thai News Agency, France is facing its longest and most extreme heatwave on record. The national meteorological office has issued a red alert covering 49 out of 96 provinces, or more than half of the country. High temperatures are expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius in Bordeaux and 39 degrees Celsius in Paris. Nighttime temperatures remain above 25 degrees Celsius. The extreme heat has led to tragic incidents; two children, aged 2 and 4, were found unconscious and dead inside their family car parked outside their home in Carpentras, in southeastern France, where outside temperatures soared to around 38-39 degrees Celsius. Additionally, three elderly people have died in Bordeaux from health problems caused by the heat, and 13 others have drowned in the past two days as large numbers of people sought refuge in rivers and other bodies of water to cool off. Authorities have warned people to only swim in areas with supervision.
In Spain, the national meteorological office has officially declared the first heatwave of the year, with maximum temperatures expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius in the valleys and river basins of Andalusia and Extremadura. A red alert for extreme heat has been issued in northern Basque Country, which typically experiences cooler temperatures, with coastal cities like San Sebasti¡n recording temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Italy's Ministry of Health has issued a red alert for 12 major cities across the country, from north to south, including Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna, Florence, and Rome, warning residents and tourists to avoid the intense afternoon sun. Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg have also issued red alerts for extreme heat.
Scientists have identified this heat phenomenon as being caused by a heat dome, a high-pressure mass of hot air moving very slowly. It is drawing extremely hot air from the Sahara Desert in North Africa to cover the European continent. A report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms that Europe's average temperature is currently rising at a rate twice as fast as the global average. The current severe heatwave is expected to persist and not subside until at least Friday.