Europe is facing one of its most dangerous heatwaves in recent years and temperatures have crossed 40 degrees Celsius in many countries leading to rising deaths, pressure on hospitals, transport problems and power cuts and the situation has surprised many people around the world because 40°C is a common summer temperature in many parts of India however experts say the same temperature can have very different effects depending on where people live and how prepared a country is for extreme heat.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) Europe is the fastest warming continent on Earth and is warming at twice global average, talking about it WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that more than 150 million people are living under extreme heat conditions across Europe and he also said that over 1,300 excess deaths have been reported since June 21 that are linked to ongoing heatwave.
While 40°C is a regular summer temperature in many Indian cities Europe has not traditionally experienced such extreme heat and many European countries usually have mild summers so homes, schools and workplaces were built to keep people warm during cold winters instead of helping them stay cool during long periods of extreme heat.
Because of the above mentioned reasons many buildings do not have air conditioning and as temperatures remain high for several days indoor spaces also become dangerously hot due to which older people, young children and those with health problems are at highest risk.
France has been among the worst-hit countries. French health officials said around 1,000 more people have died than would normally be expected at this time of the year since the latest heatwave began and most of the deaths were among people aged 65 years and above and the rising number of deaths has also put pressure on funeral services. According to France's National Funeral Federation funeral home occupancy has increased to more than 60 percent across the country and normally the occupancy during summer stays between 30 and 45 percent.
Officials said funeral homes in central Paris reached full capacity forcing families to move their loved ones to nearby towns and suburbs and they also warned that waiting times for cremations and burials could increase because cemeteries and crematoriums can only handle a limited number of cases each day.
The heat has also affected transport systems. Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland recorded temperatures above 40°C during the weekend and in Germany's city of Leipzig local reports showed tram tracks becoming damaged due to extreme heat ultimately forcing tram services to stop meanwhile Ukraine is also dealing with additional pressure because of the heat. The country which is already facing damaged infrastructure due to the ongoing war with Russia ordered emergency power cuts in parts of country to reduce pressure on electricity grid and officials warned that households and businesses in several regions could face temporary blackouts.
Many videos have appeared on social media showing eggs and bacon cooking on pans left under the sun, chocolates melting inside shops, plastic items becoming soft and people cooling themselves with water cannons however many of these videos have not been independently verified. Health experts say the biggest danger during a heatwave is heat stress and this happens when human body cannot cool itself properly. It can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Heatstroke is a medical emergency and it happens when the body's temperature rises above 40°C and it can no longer control its internal temperature, symptoms include confusion, loss of consciousness, a fast heartbeat and difficulty breathing and if not treated quickly it can damage organs and become fatal. Heat can also make existing health problems worse and experts say it increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and breathing problems especially among elderly people, people with disabilities and those who do not have access to cooling or enough drinking water.
Meteorologists say the current heatwave was caused by a weather system known as a "heat dome" which is a dome that forms when a large area of high pressure traps hot air over the same region for several days or even weeks and this prevents cooler air from moving in and allows temperatures to keep rising. Scientists say climate change is making these heatwaves more frequent and more intense and according to climate experts heatwaves like the current one are now around 30 times more likely than they were before large scale human-driven climate change. Events that were once expected only once in hundreds of years are now happening much more often.
Governments across Europe have started taking steps to reduce the impact of extreme heat and some cities are checking on elderly residents while Barcelona has opened hundreds of climate shelters where people can escape the heat and worker groups have also called for new laws to protect employees from working in dangerous temperatures. The current heatwave shows that temperature alone does not tell full story, while 40°C is a normal summer day in many parts of India Europe's buildings, infrastructure and public systems were not designed for such extreme heat and as climate change continues to raise temperatures around the world experts warn that countries will need to improve their preparedness to protect lives during future heatwaves.
