A severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has disrupted daily life across several countries, triggering health warnings, red alerts and growing concerns over electricity supplies as temperatures continue to rise.
Italy on Monday issued red alerts in 12 cities as extreme temperatures placed additional pressure on public services and energy infrastructure.
In the northern city of Turin, soaring electricity demand driven by widespread use of air conditioners and cooling systems overloaded parts of the power grid, causing intermittent power outages. Local energy provider Iren has doubled employees’ work shifts and deployed additional generators to stabilise the electricity supply.
Meanwhile, France has reported an increase in heat-related incidents. French Civil Security spokesperson Jérôme Bonet said at least 13 people drowned between Sunday and Monday after entering lakes, rivers and other water bodies to escape the scorching temperatures. Last year, drowning deaths in France rose by 172 percent during periods of extreme heat.
The UK Met Office has warned that temperatures could exceed 39 degrees Celsius during the ongoing four-day heatwave. The previous highest June temperature record of 35.6 degrees Celsius was set in both 1957 and 1976, raising concerns that long-standing records could be broken this week.
Preliminary data from Météo-France showed temperatures in Paris reaching 38.4 degrees Celsius, making it one of the hottest June periods in recent memory.
Experts say the heatwave is being fuelled by a mass of hot air moving northward from the Sahara Desert and North Africa.
“This hot air mass is moving very slowly, meaning there is little wind or natural cooling to provide relief,” said climate researcher Friederike Otto of Imperial College London.
Scientists have repeatedly warned that climate change is increasing the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather events across Europe, making prolonged heatwaves more common than in previous decades.
Authorities across the affected countries have urged residents to stay hydrated, avoid unnecessary outdoor activities during peak afternoon hours and take extra precautions to protect children, older adults and other vulnerable groups.
