Europe is battling an unprecedented heat wave which has broken temperature records in three countries and has already been associated with at least four deaths.
The heat is blasting northern and western Europe with temperatures that have already beaten all-time records in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands just one month after another huge heatwave hit the continent and broke what were then the existing records.
The Netherlands saw its highest-ever recorded temperature as the city of Eindhoven reached 39.3 C (102.74 F) . Most of the country is under an orange alert until Saturday, with authorities implementing the country’s national heat plan.
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Belgium recorded a record temperature of 40.2 C (104.4 F) on Wednesday, and said that the record could be broken again on Thursday. Almost all of of the country is on red alert, which Belgian authorities say are only issued for “extremely high temperatures.”
And Germany saw a record temperature of 40.5C (104.9 F) on Wednesday, though it said Thursday could be hotter. The national meteorological service issued a heat warning for almost all of the country.
The UK and France are also battling extreme heat and could see their national records broken on Thursday, which is expected to be the hottest day. Spain and Portugal are also battling wildfires as temperatures rise, and Italy has issued fire alerts.
London is expected to reach 39 c (102.2 F) on Thursday evening, which would break England’s all-time record of 38.5 C (101.3 F). A temperature of 35.1 C (95.18 F) was recorded at Heathrow Airport early Thursday afternoon — the hottest of the year so far.
London’s Metropolitan police said it has found the bodies of two men who went swimming in the Thames, and that it was still searching for another man who went missing in the river.
Police also found a body in a water park in Gloucestershire, south-western England, on Tuesday.
Swimming-related deaths tend to spike in extreme heat as people enter bodies of water — like the Thames — which are rarely used for swimming. The colder water can also put people into shock, leading to their deaths.
London’s Metropolitan Police warned people on Thursday not to swim in the river, which cuts through London, even though it “may look appealing, especially in this hot weather” as it is “dangerous all year round.”
Police in Austria said that a two-year-old boy died after climbing into his family’s car without them noticing and overheated, The Associated Press reported. Temperatures in Austria are only 26 degrees C (74 F), which is cooler than many European countries this week, but authorities still warned that children and pets are at risk in cars.
Paris reached 40.6 C (105.08 F) on Thursday afternoon — the hottest ever recorded in the city — and forecasters said the tempterature was still increasing.
The French city of Bordeaux hit its highest-ever recorded temperature on Tuesday, at 41.2 degrees C (106.1 F), and France’s emergency services are on high alert as temperatures continue rise on Thursday.
Some French cities, including Paris, have banned some vehicles from their centers in a bid to cut down on pollution.
Andreas Friedrich, a spokesperson for DWD, said of the forecast in Germany: “As a meteorologist, I have never seen anything like this before.”
England’s public health service told people to “know the steps to take for keeping cool and that you’re looking out for those who are more vulnerable in the heat.”
The UK Met Office also urged people to look out for vulnerable people, like the elderly, and to keep out of direct sunlight. Train companies have been running reduced services as they were forced to slow down to prevent railway lines from buckling in the heat.
Luxembourg, Italy, and Sweden are also facing temperatures higher than 30 degrees C (86 F).
The heat comes just one month after a huge heatwave gripped much of the continent, breaking June temperature records in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, giving France its highest-ever recorded temperature, and prompting one Spanish meteorologist to tweet: “Hell is coming.”
One French village recorded temperatures of 45.1 C (113.18 F), and France opened new public pools and parks in a bid to keep people cool and avoid a repeat of a 2003 heatwave was linked to the deaths of 15,000 French people.
June ended up being the hottest month ever on record around the world.
Much of the eastern US was also been hit by a heatwave this month, with “oppressive and dangerous” heat.
