PARIS/LONDON: Soaring temperatures broke records in Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday as a heatwave gripped Europe for the second time in a month, in what scientists said were becoming more frequent events as the planet heats up.
As a cauldron of hot air from the Sahara desert moved across the continent, drawn northwards by high pressure, Paris saw its highest temperature since records began and Britain reported its hottest weather for the month of July.
An all-time high was measured in Germany for a second day running, at 41.5 degrees Celsius in the northwestern town of Lingen —similar temperatures to those in some Gulf Arab capitals on Thursday.
The unusual conditions brought a reduction in French and German nuclear power output, disrupted rail travel in parts of Britain and sent some Europeans, not habitual users of air-conditioning in their homes, out to the shops in search of fans.
Health authorities issued warnings to the elderly, especially vulnerable to spikes in temperature. In cities, children splashed about in water fountains to cool off.
“It’s very hot at the moment. I saw 42 degrees (Celsius) is forecast for today,” said 19-year-old French tourist Ombeline Massot in the capital’s Montmartre district, where visitors drank chilled bottles of water and fanned themselves.
The mercury in Paris touched 42.6 C in mid-afternoon, above the previous Paris record of 40.4 C recorded in July 1947.
In Britain, the temperature reached its highest for July, hitting 36.9 C, said the Met Office, the national weather service, citing the temperature at Heathrow, London.
In the southern Netherlands, the temperature peaked at 40.4 C, topping 40 C for the first time on record, Dutch meteorology institute KNMI said. That broke the national record of 39.3 C set the previous day. Before this week, the national heat record of 38.6 C had stood for 75 years.
The heat is expected to persist until Friday. — Reuters
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