The heat wave over Europe has long been deadly: since last Sunday, the heat wave in Spain, with temperatures well above 40 degrees, has claimed the lives of at least 360 people.
The number of people dying from the heat has been increasing day by day, it said. On the first day, 15 such deaths were recorded in the country of 47 million inhabitants, on Friday, when the temperature soared to 45 degrees, already 123.
In most cases, the victims were people already weakened by old age or a previous illness, “La Vanguardia” wrote. On Friday, however, a 60-year-old street cleaner suddenly collapsed. Emergency doctors measured a body temperature of 41.6 degrees. The man was taken to a hospital, but died there.
Portugal also registered more heat deaths than in previous years
In neighboring Portugal, with more than ten million inhabitants who also suffer from a heat wave, 238 more deaths were counted between 7 and 13 July than in comparable periods in previous years, reports Lusa news agency. These deaths would be attributed to the extreme heat. The state of emergency is still in effect in Portugal.
The Spanish authorities strongly recommend drinking plenty of water, delaying particularly strenuous physical activities if possible and ideally only leaving the house in the morning or evening. The next few days promise some relief as temperatures drop below 40 degrees in many places.
Germany and Britain in fear
The German Weather Service (DWD) expects that the limit of 40 degrees will also be exceeded locally in Germany in the coming week. As Saturday’s 10-day forecast shows, a warming of 30 to 36 degrees can be expected on Tuesday in particular – reaching 39 degrees in the southwest and west.
The UK in particular is scared right now. Current forecasts say temperatures will hit 30 degrees in much of England and Wales on Tuesday, with forecasters predicting an 80 percent chance that temperatures in certain areas will reach 35 degrees and could even reach 40 degrees.
According to ZAMG (Central Institute of Meteorology and Geodynamics), Austria will also have to deal with the next heat wave from Monday and temperatures of around 36 degrees are expected. Warm thunderstorms are not expected until the second half of the week at the earliest. This is not good news for agriculture and the drinking water supply in Austria.
The reason for the upcoming midsummer weather is that Hoch “Jürgen” is moving to the south east of the British Isles.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
