GENEVA: The intense heat gripping Europe can quickly become a matter of life and death for the most vulnerable in society, the Red Cross warned on Tuesday. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world's largest humanitarian network, said that besides the sweltering outdoor temperatures, indoor heat was also a serious health risk.
"The coming days pose serious health risks," Mary Friel, the IFRC's senior climate policy officer, told a press conference in Geneva. "For thousands of people across Europe, extreme temperatures, without action, can quickly become a matter of life and death. "IFRC is urging people to take this heatwave seriously and to look out for those most at risk to save lives."
The network urged people to stay connected to heat alerts, follow advice from local authorities and check in on those who may be at higher risk. Friel said the "most extreme impacts" were felt by vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers and the homeless.
National Red Cross societies were carrying out house calls, setting up cooling stations in cities, providing first aid and sharing practical advice, she said. "Early action saves lives and we encourage everyone to act," said Friel. "Indoor heat is often a hidden threat, especially for people with limited mobility and underlying health conditions," she added.
Workers stewed at their posts and children stayed home from school on Tuesday as a choking early-summer heatwave smothered much of western Europe. Schools closed and railways advised against travel as Britain, France, Italy and Spain issued red alerts and health warnings for much of their territory in the record-breaking heat.
France sweated through its hottest night ever recorded and reported that 40 people had drowned in the past five days as citizens bathed to cool off. Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, and warn they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense, driven by humans' burning of fossil fuels.
Nearly all of Spain was under a heat alert, with parts of the south and north of the country on the highest warning level. National weather agency AEMET issued red alerts for "extraordinary danger" in areas around the southern city of Cordoba, the northern city of Bilbao and parts of the northern region of Cantabria.
Authorities urged people to take extra care of vulnerable people, drink water and avoid exertion at the hottest hours — if possible. But Reinaldo Garcia, 35, had to go every day to the small air-conditioned kiosk where he sells lottery tickets in Madrid. "In the afternoon, when the sun hits full-strength on the kiosk, it's like there's no air-conditioning at all," he said. "But I have to work all the same." Italy's health ministry declared a red heatwave alert in 15 cities, including Milan and Rome.
During a red alert, the ministry advises people to eat light, stay indoors in the hottest parts of the day and sprinkle themselves with cool water. The city's transport authority told the daily that the batteries on its new electric buses were running out faster than usual because of more air conditioning. "We are organising the service to face up to this unusual heatwave," the Atac authority was quoted as saying.
Dozens of schools in England said they would close early on Tuesday and remain shut for two more days. "Most of our buildings cannot be cooled adequately and there is little shade outside," one school in southeastern Buckinghamshire said. The UK's meteorological office issued a rare red heat warning — for only the second time — for parts of central and south England on Wednesday and Thursday.
The alert indicates a risk to life and the possibility of major infrastructure being closed. Temperatures could soar to 40C, unprecedented for the time of the year. "To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering," said Met Office chief scientist Stephen Belcher. "Human-induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense."
In Germany, police said five people had died in fatal swimming accidents over the weekend. On Monday, two children aged two and four were found dead in a car, believed to be casualties of the heatwave, according to a local prosecutor in the southern town of Carpentras. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
