Heat Wave: France, UK Issue Warnings As High Temperature Dominates Europe's Climate

 

Warnings have emerged following the heat wave enveloping the European atmosphere.

 

Mass of hot air moving north from Africa is driving up temperatures in Western Europe, as France on Tuesday, June 29 became the latest to endure unusual heat.

 

France’s southwestern Gironde region sweltered in 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit), a day after Cordoba in southern Spain recorded nearly 44 C (111 F).

 

Paris introduced special heat wave measures. They included opening air-conditioned rooms to the public and phoning people who might be especially vulnerable to the heat, primarily the elderly and those who can not leave their homes for medical reasons.

 

Authorities warned that temperatures could surpass those of 2003, when thousands of people died — many of them retirees who had been left alone while younger relatives vacationed. The government at the time was criticised for failing to respond quickly or decisively enough and has since been extremely quick to react when temperatures start to rise.

 

After France, the United Kingdom will feel the northern edge of the hot air mass today when temperatures could hit 35 C (95 F), with the warm front possibly blowing Saharan sand into Britain. Both France and the U.K. issued heat alerts.

 

Temperatures in England started climbing higher Tuesday, with a maximum of just over 30 C (86 F) recorded at Heathrow airport in London, British meteorologists said.