French authorities on Monday ordered the evacuation of 31,000 people in the Gironde region from areas of fire caused by a heat wave. England is gearing up for today’s record high, with thermometers expected to top 40°C, beating the 38.7°C recorded in 2019, with Wales recording its hottest temperature on record.
The British government has declared a national emergency and issued the first ever “extreme” heat warning – an extra precaution during a heatwave that is sweeping Europe. An estimated 1,000 people died from the heat in Portugal and Spain alone.
Some European countries, however, are not as prepared for high temperatures as the United Kingdom. According to the Department of Energy, only 5% of homes in the country have air conditioning, most of which are portable. Houses, in contrast, are traditionally built to retain heat.
Custom
“We are a country dominated by warming, not a country that doesn’t care about the cold and doesn’t care about the heat,” said Tadj Oreszczyn, a professor of environment at University College London. “We don’t design our homes to handle heat. We design our homes to be warm.”
Train services were canceled or run at reduced speeds yesterday amid fears the heat could cause instability on the tracks. The high temperature caused cracks in the runway at London Luton Airport. Many flights were cancelled.
The heatwave also affected the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, which was shortened. According to a British Army spokesman, the guards will have a special regimen of constant hydration and reduced duties until the weekend.
In France, the situation is particularly dire in Bordeaux, the largest city in the Gironde region. About 1,700 firefighters are battling the blaze, which has already burned 150 square kilometers of forest. The zoo in Arcachon Bay, south of Bordeaux, is trying to evacuate 800 animals at risk of inhaling toxic fumes from the fire.
Impact
In Paris, city officials encouraged residents and tourists to use a website dedicated to discovering more than 900 “islands of rejuvenation” that include urban parks, cemeteries, swimming pools and museums.
In Italy, the tomato harvest was brought forward due to the heat, as temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius. “Production will inevitably decrease,” said agronomist Lorenzo Pasana. “Some late-maturing varieties are even more susceptible.”
The heat wave has worsened drought in parts of Spain, France, Portugal and Italy, which are under state of emergency. In Germany, a government report published yesterday estimated the impact of heat, drought and floods at 145 billion euros between 2000 and 2021. (with international companies).
Information in the newspaper. State of Sao Paulo.
