Monday was the day for fighting wildfires in Turkey and France, while heat waves in Europe evacuated more than 50,000 people. Health warnings were issued in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Germany, and even the Netherlands—which is known for its cool air—warned of a rare hot air arrival with a lot of wet air.
"Very hot air and heat waves that would be characteristic of July or August in big parts of Western Europe are being witnessed," said Samantha Burgess, who leads on climate at the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
In some places, it was 5-10 degrees hotter than where it is supposed to be this time of the year, she added. Wildfires spread on the second day at Izmir, rooted further by strong winds in Turkey, said Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli. More than 50,000 had to be evacuated from five places, with over 42,000 alone from Izmir, as per the Turkish AFAD emergency group.
With summers hot and dry, the coastline areas of Turkey have seen bad wildfires, which experts put down to man-made climate change. Fires were in southwest Aude in France, where hot air might hit their tops on Tuesday and Wednesday, which started on Sunday with air over 40 degrees, burning 400 hectares, and evacuations of a camp and a church house, according to the local bosses.
The fires had not yet been quenched, it was said by those in authority on Monday. Météo France hoisted the heat alert from Monday onward through the middle of the week over 84 of the 101 departments.
The sun did shine and scorched the lands at the All England Club at Wimbledon, in Rome, and in Seville. "It's 20 degrees hotter than what I'm used to, and I'm sunburned," said Scott Henderson, a tennis aficionado from Scotland, at the Wimbledon Championships.
Spain might witness its warmest month of June ever, according to the forecasters of AEMET. Ruben del Campo of the weather team said, "Until Thursday, at least, strong heat will persist across most of Spain." Meanwhile, the heat in Seville reached 42 C, and world leaders were attending an event at the United Nations. "It's bad," said Bernabe Rufo. "We have to keep finding shade" while cleaning a fountain. Another peak heat was recorded at 43.7 C in El Granado. High-heat alerts have been issued for 16 cities in Italy, among them Rome and Milan. According to the leader of Lombardy, northern Italy's prominent region, outdoor work will be stopped during peak heat hours as per the unions' request.
Germany issued heat alerts across much of its western and southern regions on Monday as temperatures soared to 34 C. Officials urged residents to conserve water, citing the scorching weather. Low rainfall and searing temperatures caused the Rhine River to recede, impeding shipping traffic and raising freight costs, traders said.
Demand for air-conditioning pushed power prices in Germany and France sharply higher for Tuesday. Heat is especially risky for the elderly, infants, outdoor workers, and households with limited means. Globally, extreme heat now claims up to 480,000 lives each year, more than floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes combined, Swiss Re reported this month. Scientists continue to warn that burning coal and oil is the primary driver of climate change. 2022 remains the warmest year on record for the planet.