From Yahoo:
“European Heatwave Decelerates
Transportation, Accelerates Wildfires”
A sizzling heatwave has been
rough on European citizens and tourists this week. The record-setting
temperatures are no joke, and they're being blamed for killing at least one
person, helping spark a huge wildfire and slowing transportation a bit. The extreme
heat and dry air are blowing in from North Africa and could last through the
weekend. Monthly and all-time temperature records were broken on Wednesday,
June 26 in parts of the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland and Spain. A
record high temperature of 105.6° Fahrenheit (F), or 40.9° Celsius (C), was
reported in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Forecasters expect parts of France to see
temperatures rise to 110°F by Friday.
Fahrenheit = (Celsius temperature
X 1.8) + 32
"The whole government is
mobilized," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on Monday.
Public health warnings for heat have also been issued in Belgium, Italy and
Switzerland. The temperature in Coschen, Germany peaked at 101° F, a new German
record for June. Radzyn, Poland and Doksany, Czech Republic set new record
national highs of 101° F and 38.9C respectively. Even in the high-altitude
Alps, temperatures topped 85°F in some spots. Parts of Austria recorded local
all-time high temperatures. It's been so hot that the transport ministry in
Germany's eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt has imposed temporary speed limits of
62 to 74 mph (100 to 120 kilometers per hour) on several short stretches of the
Autobahn. Those stretches usually have no speed limit, but officials fear the
road might buckle and crack in the heat, putting drivers and their passengers
at risk. In Paris, authorities have temporarily banned older vehicles from the
city because the extreme heat can increase and aggravate pollutants in the air.
Regional authorities estimate that the brief ban affects nearly 60 percent of
vehicles in the Paris metro area, including many delivery trucks and older cars
with higher emissions levels. Violators could be fined. Hundreds of firefighters
are battling wildfires in Spain's Catalonia region where temperatures have
soared past 100°F. Officials say these are the worst fires in the region in 20
years and may spread rapidly. At least 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) have been
burned by the fires near the town of La Torre de l'Espanyol, about 50 miles (80
kilometers) from the coastal city of Tarragona. Officials said that the size of
the fire could become five times larger as the heat wave persists. At least 30
people have been evacuated and five roads have been closed. Regional interior
minister Miquel Buch told Catalan radio the fire might have been caused by
"an accumulation of manure in a farm that generated enough heat to explode
and generate sparks." No deaths were reported in Spain. But this morning,
June 27, the body of a 72-year-old homeless Romanian man was found near Milan's
central train station. Officials say the heat may have been a factor in his
death. Back in France, the heat has forced the cancellation of some public
events and schools in France have postponed exams for the first time ever.
Public cooling rooms have been opened in Paris and other cities. Fédération Internationale
de Football Association (FIFA) has bent some rules during the women's World Cup
soccer tournament. Under normal circumstances, spectators are not allowed to
bring any bottles or drink containers into stadiums. But, because of the heat,
FIFA allowed people attending Monday's match in Paris to bring outside water
bottles into the stadium. FIFA also may implement cooling breaks for players,
with three-minute pauses for water at the 30- and 75-minute marks if
temperatures reach 90°F inside the stadiums. Such breaks were first allowed
during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil during a scorching heatwave. If the weather
gets hot enough, FIFA could also postpone games. No games had been originally
scheduled for Wednesday, but play resumed today. Unfortunately, Europe is no
stranger to excessive heat. In the summer of 2003, a heat wave was blamed for
tens of thousands of deaths across the continent. At the time, it was the
hottest summer for Europe since the 16th century. However, Europe does not have
frequent heat waves, so many parts of the continent lack the resources to cope
with them. Many buildings don't have air conditioning and they aren't designed
with passive cooling in mind. For example, as few as 2 percent of homes in
Germany are air conditioned. It's an issue that European countries may want to
consider addressing sooner rather than later. It's difficult to impossible to
link a single event, like this heat wave, to global warming. While extreme
weather occurs naturally, some experts say it could happen more often because
of climate change.
^ It’s important to take it easy
during a heatwave – especially in places like Europe that don’t use air
conditioners in many homes and public places. I have lived in Germany and in
Russia (not to mention travelling throughout Europe) and it’s not easy or fun
to live or visit those places when it’s so hot. The majority of places do not
have air conditioning and being stuck on crowded and smelly public transportation
is nasty. ^
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