Wildfires in Spain and high temperatures elsewhere in Europe claimed six people’s lives because the continent’s sultry temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius.
Two farmers died when they were caught by flames near the town of Cusco in the Catalonia region of Spain. Authorities said a farm worker called on his boss to seek help but they could not escape as the fire spread to the large area.
In Italy, two men died of discomfort on the beach on the island of Sardinia, while a man in his 80s died of heart failure after walking into a hospital in Genoa.
A 10-year-old American girl collapsed and died while visiting the Palace of Versailles in southwestern Paris.
According to French broadcaster TF1, she collapsed at the Royal Manor courtyard in front of her parents around 18:00 on Tuesday. She was pronounced dead an hour later despite efforts from the Castle’s security team and emergency services.
France’s Ecological Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said earlier that two heat-related deaths were recorded in France and more than 300 people were given emergency care.
The European continent is experiencing extremely high temperatures, a phenomenon that is becoming more and more frequent due to “human-induced climate change.”
Since the record began, both Spain and England have had the hottest June. Spain’s meteorological service AEMET said last month that the average temperature last month was 23.6C (74.5F) “smashed records”, surpassing the normal average in July and August.
Two men who died in the Catalonian fire were later identified as farmers’ owners and workers aged 32 and 45.
Emergency services say the fire has spread to an area of up to 6,500 hectares.
AEMET predicted a temperature of 41C in the southern city of Córdoba on Wednesday and said the overnight temperature in the nearby town of Osuna the night before was as high as 28C.
Since its founding record in 1900, France has registered its second pick in June. June 2023 is even hotter.
Four departments in France remained at the red alert level on Wednesday (highest level). According to Météo-France, this includes Aube, Cher, Loiret and Yonne.
People calm down at Montsouris Park in Paris, France [Getty Images]
In Sadinia, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in recent days have passed, a 75-year-old man died after falling ill on the beach in Bhuttoni. Another 60-year-old fell ill on the beach of Lu Empire in San Teodoro.
Two construction workers in Vicenza, Italy, were taken to the hospital at 15:30 on Tuesday because they became ill from calories while working in the cave. According to ANSA News, one of the workers was in a coma.
Meanwhile, two wildfires prompted an emergency evacuation in Greece as authorities warned that fire risks are high in many areas, including Attica, Crete and part of the Pelopon and Aegean Islands.
In the northern Halkidiki region, a fast-moving fire near the coastal Vourvourou passed through highly flammable pine forests, forcing residents and campers to escape. The area reportedly cuts power, while 65 firefighters, ground teams and air forces are fighting the flames on the steep terrain.
On Crete, a fire is burning near the seaside village of Achlia, threatening residential, tourist accommodation and critical infrastructure. Local residents and tourists have been ordered to leave. More than 100 firefighters have been deployed to deal with the fire.
Dimple Rana, a heat and microclimate expert at Sustainability Consulting Consulting Company Arup, told the BBC that “there is a big link between heat-related effects and age”.
Ms Rana said that, for example, most heat-related deaths are older people in the UK. Young children, especially those under five years of age, are also in danger.
Another factor to consider is that lower income people often do more manual work, which means they are more susceptible to higher temperatures, Ms Lana said.
According to the UN Intergovernmental Group on Climate Change, heat waves are becoming increasingly common due to climate change caused by humans.
It says extreme hot weather will happen more frequently as the planet continues to warm — and become more intense.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of the United Nations Climate and Climate Agency said on Tuesday that climate change caused by humans means “extreme heat is becoming more frequent and intense.”
“The impact of calories on human health is more obvious due to urban heat island effects,” WMO added in a statement.
“Here, the urban environment is much warmer than the surrounding rural areas, especially during hot periods, due to the large number of paved surfaces, buildings, vehicles and heat sources.”
“This extra heat in cities increases heat stress and may increase mortality during hot periods,” the agency said.
