France experiences hottest night in nearly 80 years
Paris, June 23
The night from Monday to Tuesday was the hottest recorded in France since national meteorological records began in 1947, with the national nighttime heat indicator, calculated from data at 30 meteorological stations across the country, reaching 21.6 degrees Celsius, Meteo-France said on Tuesday.
According to the meteorological institute, 54 departments in mainland France were placed under red heatwave alert, the highest alert level, on Tuesday, while 35 departments were placed under orange alert, Xinhua news agency reported.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that around 40 people have drowned in France since June 18, mostly young people, news channel BFMTV reported. He also said that an interministerial crisis unit has been mobilised to respond to the heatwave.
France is experiencing an intense heatwave, with temperatures expected to remain exceptionally high until at least Thursday and potentially exceed the country's national average temperature record for the month of June, Meteo-France said on Monday.
The national average temperature reached 29.2 degrees Celsius at 5 pm (1500 GMT) on Monday, according to Meteo-France. The agency said the national average could surpass the record of 29.4 degrees Celsius for June and could reach 30 degrees Celsius by midweek.
French Education Minister Edouard Geffray said on Monday that 1,352 schools and middle schools were closed due to the heatwave, while 4,042 others had introduced special arrangements to cope with the extreme temperatures.
Meanwhile, Poland is expected to experience an intense heatwave, with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country, the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) said on Monday.
According to the IMGW forecast, temperatures will rise gradually through the week, with the heat expected to peak on June 28 and 29. Temperatures in the Zgorzelec and Jelenia Gora areas of Lower Silesia could reach 39 to 40 degrees Celsius, while the Baltic coast and central Poland are expected to record around 36 degrees Celsius.
The heatwave is forecast to last three to four days before cooler weather arrives, the IMGW said.
Health authorities have warned that extreme temperatures pose serious risks, particularly for the elderly, children and those with chronic illnesses
— IANS
Reader Comments
The drowning statistics are heartbreaking. In India, we see similar tragedies during floods - poor infrastructure and lack of awareness. France should invest in cooling centers and better warning systems. 40 deaths is unacceptable for a developed nation.
As someone who lived in Mumbai for years, 29°C is a mild day for us! But the real issue is how unprepared they are. Our metro cities also suffer during heatwaves but at least we have some community support systems. Closing 1,352 schools seems extreme - but safety first.
This shows how climate change is no longer a future problem. In Rajasthan we regularly see 50°C but the difference is our buildings are designed for heat - thick walls, courtyards, shaded streets. European cities need to adapt their architecture. Also, Poland hitting 40°C is unprecedented!
I'm concerned about the elderly and children mentioned. In my village in Karnataka, we lost many elders during the 2016 heatwave because no one checked on them. Global North countries should share their climate adaptation tech with developing nations. We're all in this together.
Respectfully, I think the media coverage is disproportionate. India faces worse heatwaves every year with less infrastructure. But let's not ignore that Europe's fossil fuel legacy partly caused this. Time for them to pay climate reparations and help countries like ours transition to green energy.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.