Climate scientists have warned Europeans of the dangers of ‘tropical nights’ as yet another scorching heatwave grips the continent.
France’s national weather service Meteo France says the country is entering a “plateau” of unrelenting heatwave conditions that won’t ease until Friday (26 June) at the earliest.
More than half of France’s 96 departments have been placed under red alert for ‘severe weather’ as temperatures climb up to 40°C. It comes just weeks after France endured a deadly May heatwave that experts say had the “fingerprints of climate change all over it”.
Yesterday (21 June) authorities banned the consumption of alcohol at the annual Fête de la Musique (Music Day) festival in Paris due to soaring temperatures. Emmanuel Grégoire, the mayor of Paris, announced swimming would be allowed in Canal Saint-Martin from Wednesday, while authorising Paris's parks and gardens to remain open 24/7 to help people cool off.
Weather forecasts predict the mercury will hit 40°C this week in many parts of Spain, including Bilbao, Zaragoza, Almeria and Madrid. Even the UK is bracing for scorching temperatures, with the Met Office predicting highs of 38°C in southern England during the coming days.
