At least 9 believed dead across Europe in ‘silent killer’ heatwave as continent scorched with temperatures above 40C
At least nine people have died amid an intense ‘silent killer’ heatwave across Europe this week, seeing some places reach temperatures of over 45C.
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Paris, Milan and Barcelona are among dozens of cities put on high alert because of scorching temperatures this week.
Italy saw highs of 38C, prompting officials to issue red alerts - the most serious alerts - across 17 major cities including Milan and Rome. Several regions in the mediterranean country banned people from working outdoors in the afternoon.
But at least one labourer died in the sun, and it is believed the heatwave played a part in his death.
According to local reports, Brahim Ait El Hajjam, 47, was pouring concrete in a car park on the outskirts of Bologna - which was under a red alert - when he died.
Meanwhile, two men in their 60s died on beaches in Sardinia according to the ANSA news agency, and a 53-year-old woman died after fainting in Sicily’s capital Palermo while walking along a street. The woman had an existing heart condition, according to local media reports.
Spanish officials said a wildfire in Catalonia had led to two deaths, with more deaths reported in Extremadura and Cordoba. Some Spanish regions saw some of the highest temperatures acorss the continent, with 46C heat recorded in Huelva on Saturday.
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Meanwhile, France’s energy minister said two people died because of the heat, with 300 others taken to hospital, according to Reuters.
Météo-France had placed multiple departments under its highest red alert, with Paris seeing the most severe impact.
The Eiffel Tower summit is closed all day on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the heat, and visitors have been asked to postpone their visit until Thursday.
Every year thousands of people die as a result of heatwaves, which is why scientists sometimes call them ‘silent killers’.
During the notoriously hot summer of 2022 - the warmest European summer on record - 61,000 people died because of the heat, according to a study.
But climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date.
By 2100, France could be up to 4C warmer, with temperatures exceeding 40C expected every year and extreme heat spikes potentially reaching 50C.
According to Meteo-France, the country may face a tenfold increase in the number of heatwave days by the next century.
Elsewhere in Europe, Barcelona reported the hottest month of June since records began more than 100 years ago.
Meanwhile, 17 of Italy's 27 major cities were experiencing a heatwave, according to health officials.
Scientists warned that the searing temperatures earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change, while the heatwave that gripped south-east England was 10 times likelier.
Though temperatures in the many places are forecast to drop as the week goes on, experts have warned that early summer heatwaves are becoming increasingly common and intense.
Dr Ben Clarke, research associate in extreme weather and climate change at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, says that without climate change, the UK would still experience periods of fine, warm weather in June – but the hotter atmosphere means that “fine” weather is now very hot.
“In short, climate change is making ‘nice’ weather more dangerous, and already dangerous weather more deadly,” he warned.