France has declared the highest heat warning level for the first time in five years and due to high temperatures the upper floors of the Eiffel Tower in Paris were closed – Image: Thribaud Moritz/AFP/dpa/picture alliance
As Europe bakes in the summer heat, parts of Italy and France are on red alert, with Spain and Portugal seeing record temperatures. Schools and tourist attractions have closed, and conditions have turned deadly.
Europe is suffering under an unusually early, intense heat wave. Germany may see temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius this week.
Germany records highest temperature of the year — so far
The German Weather Service (DWD) recorded the highest temperature of the year so far — 37.8 degrees Celsius (100.04 degrees Fahrenheit) — on Tuesday evening in Kitzingen, Bavaria.
The record, however, isn’t expected to last long as it could be surpassed on Wednesday, with temperatures expected to get even hotter.
“Then the peak will be reached, and it is quite possible that we will locally reach around 40 degrees,” a DWD spokesperson told the DPA news agency. That’s 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
From Thursday, it is expected to cool down slightly.
The all-time heat record for Germany was recorded on July 25, 2019, when 41.2 degrees was registered at the DWD weather stations in Tönisvorst and Duisburg-Baerl, both in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Germany: Temperature could reach rare 40 C
The German Weather Service said it expected temperatures to cross 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) this week, with Tuesday and Wednesday set to be the hottest days of the summer so far.
German education trade unions have called for nationwide heat protection regulations in schools amid the heatwave.
“There must be uniform occupational health and safety regulations for students and school employees,” said Anja Bensinger-Stolze, a board member of the Education and Science Union (GEW), in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) newspapers.
In addition to modernizing schools with green roofs and shade sails, Bensinger-Stolze continued, a “nationwide supply of free drinking water” is necessary for all children, young people, and employees.
German hospitals are also requesting additional funding to retrofit clinics.
“Severe heat poses challenges for hospitals and staff. Due to a lack of investment funds, only a few hospitals have air-conditioned rooms, offices, and waiting rooms,” said Gerald Gass, the head of the German Hospital Federation (DKG), in an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper.
“In the long term, we need a climate protection and adaptation program to renovate old buildings,” he said, adding that this was the only way clinics can protect patients and staff from the consequences of climate change.
Currently, hospitals rely on measures such as shading facades and cooling packs, Gass explained.
Heat alerts have been issued in over a dozen Italian cities – Image: Remo Casilli/REUTERS
Italian cities face power outages amid heat wave
Several Italian cities, including Florence and Bergamo, were hit with power outages on Tuesday amid a blazing summer heat wave.
The power grid was also overloaded near Milan.
The outages affected private homes as well as businesses and even traffic on the streets as traffic lights stopped working in some places.
Energy supplier Enel said it was working to restore power. The outages could be “related to the heat, which led to overheating and expansion of the power cables,” the company said.
Italy has been experiencing sizzling heat for days, with heat alerts having been issued in over a dozen cities, including Rome.
The Atomium is a popular location in Brussels – Image: Werner Lerooy/Zoonar/picture alliance
Brussels’ Atomium cuts hours as heat wave bites
The Atomium, one of Brussels’ top tourist draws, is closing early on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the heat wave, the monument’s management said on its website.
The landmark features nine stainless steel spheres linked by narrow steel tubes, forming a giant cube balanced on its tip.
Inside, the spheres hold exhibitions and a restaurant, with visitors moving between them by stairs and escalators.
German minister calls climate change biggest social issue
German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider has called climate change the biggest social issue of the 21st century as Europe — including Germany — struggles through a heat wave.
“If one considers that the richest 1% of the global population causes as much in greenhouse gas emissions as the poorest two-thirds taken together, this poses serious questions of distribution,” Schneider said.
He argued the heat was exposing social inequality. “People with less money are able to protect themselves less well against the consequences of heat. Poor people more frequently live on busy roads and in densely built homes where heat builds up,” the minister said, noting that those with money can afford air-conditioning or cooling gardens.
Schneider said the federal government was supporting local authorities and social institutions with advice and funding to expand cooling measures. He said €73.5 million ($86.5 million) had been approved for almost 500 projects since 2020, with at least €11.5 million available for this year and next.
Tourists hoping for a view from the top of the famous tower faced disappointment – Image: Christophe Ena/AP/picture alliance
Eiffel Tower summit closed with much of France on red alert
In France, red alerts have been issued for 16 departments, including Paris, with temperatures expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit).
Visitors without tickets are being told to postpone trips to the Eiffel Tower, with the uppermost level remaining closed until Thursday. Operators say the shutdown is “to ensure everyone’s comfort and safety.”
More than 1,300 schools have closed, hospitals are preparing for heat-related cases, and traffic restrictions are in place in Greater Paris.
Fire crews are on high alert for wildfires, while heavy storms have triggered mudslides in the Alps. Cooler weather is forecast for the country from Wednesday.
Climate experts warn that future summers are set to become hotter than any on record. By 2100, France could be up to 4 C warmer, with temperatures topping 40 C every year and extreme spikes possibly hitting 50 C.
Spain, Portugal report hottest June on record
Portugal has recorded its highest-ever June temperature at 46.6 degrees Celsius in Mora, east of Lisbon, beating the previous June record from 2017, according to the IPMA weather agency. More than a third of monitoring stations have registered over 40 C on Sunday, with several regions under red alert for extreme heat and wildfire risk.
Spain’s weather service Aemet says last month has been the hottest June on record nationwide, with an average temperature of 23.6 C.
El Granado near Portugal’s border reached 46 C on Saturday, a new June high, while Barcelona posted a sweltering 37.6 C — despite its coastal location.
Scientists say human-driven climate change is making heat waves more intense, with heat domes trapping hotter air.
New Normal? UN climate agency says heat waves will occur more often
The world will have to live with heat waves, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The United Nation’s weather and climate agency has said that heat waves could occur more often and be more intense.
“As a result of human-induced climate change, extreme heat is becoming more frequent, more intense. It’s something we have to learn to live with,” said WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis.
The heat wave in Europe is the result of strong high pressure system which is trapping hot air from Northern Africa.
WMO said early warnings and action plans are crucial in protecting the public. Organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) are ready to help people across the continent.
“Volunteers are giving out water and checking on the most vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness, older people, and outdoor workers,” IFRC spokesman Tommaso Della Longa.
On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the extreme heat is a “new normal.” (DW.com/NAN 02-07-25)
You might also like:
GLOBAL: ‘Crunch time’ for climate action, scientists warn
The world is running out of time to rein in human-driven climate change, with top UN scientists warning that key indicators are now in uncharted territory. The world is on course to crash through a dangerous warming threshold with key climate indicators shifting at an alarming rate, more than 60 top UN scientists have warned. weiterlesen…
