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Europe is boiling – the first heat wave of the summer is spreading

Monday, June 30


Alternative Takes

The World's Current Take

Health and Safety Concerns

Record-Breaking Predictions


Temperatures above 45 degrees are reported in Spain and Portugal. Turkey, France and Italy are affected by forest fires, and a heat record is expected in the United Kingdom.

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Ikke en regndråpe i sikte i St. James's Park i London mandag, men paraplyene ble likevel slått opp for å holde solen på avstand.
Not a drop of rain in sight in St. James's Park in London on Monday, but umbrellas were still put up to keep the sun at bay. Photo: NTB

The heat wave has prompted authorities in countries along the Mediterranean to urge people to seek shelter and protect the most vulnerable from the heat.

“This is unprecedented,” said Agnes Pannier-Runacher, a minister in the French government, as 84 of the country’s 96 mainland departments were placed under an orange heat warning.

Near popular tourist attractions, ambulances are ready in case someone gets heatstroke, and firefighters are in action in France, Italy and Turkey.

Turister står i det lille de fant av skygge under et besøk i Sagrada Familia i Barcelona mandag.
Tourists stand in the little shade they could find during a visit to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona on Monday. Photo: Emilio Morenatti / AP / NTB

Forest fire in Turkey

In the latter country, 50,000 residents have been evacuated in the western Izmir province as a result of a forest fire - which is spreading rapidly with the strong winds.

– Over 50,000 residents from 41 settlements have been temporarily evacuated to safe areas, Turkish emergency services wrote in a message on X.

It has already been reported that four villages and two urban neighborhoods have been evacuated.

In Italy, local media showed images of people running into the sea at a resort in Baia Domizia near Naples, as flames ripped through the pine forest behind them.

En person gjemmer seg for hetebølgen under en paraply i Arles sør i Frankrike.
A person hides from the heat wave under an umbrella in Arles, southern France. Photo: Lewis Joly / AP / NTB

46 degrees

Over the weekend, the temperature rose to 46 degrees, a new high for June, the country's meteorological institute confirmed on Monday.

Portugal also recorded a new high for June with 46.6 degrees in Mora, according to figures from their meteorological institute.

In the UK, the record high for June is 35.6 degrees Celsius, and experts estimate a 10 percent chance of the record being broken as extreme heat continues in Europe. It could get even hotter on Tuesday as the calendar turns to July, reports Sky News.

There is a high risk of fire in London, and Fire Chief Thomas Goodall warns that it would take little for a fire to spread out of control when it is as dry as it is now, according to Sky News. They have already been called out on countless missions, according to Goodall.

En mann hviler i skyggen i en park i Madrid.
A man rests in the shade in a park in Madrid. Photo: Paul White / AP / NTB

High alert

Seven regions in central and southern Portugal, including the capital Lisbon, are on the highest alert level on Monday, with warnings of fires in many forest areas.

In Croatia, there is also a high level of preparedness along large parts of the coast, while a heat warning has been issued for extreme heat in Montenegro.

In Serbia, the country's meteorological service has also warned of severe and extreme drought conditions in many places.

The heatwave is expected to peak in France on Tuesday and Wednesday. Italy is not as lucky, with sweltering temperatures set to continue through the week and beyond.

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