New maximums set in Belgium, Germany and Netherlands, as citizens swelter across Europe

This article is more than 1 month old

This article is more than 1 month old

Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have recorded their highest ever temperatures as the second extreme heatwave in as many months to be linked by scientists to the climate emergency grips the continent.

The Dutch meteorological service, KNMI, said the temperature reached 39.2C (102.5F) at the Gilze-Rijen airbase near Breda on Wednesday afternoon, exceeding the previous high of 38.6C set in August 1944.

In Belgium, the temperature in Kleine-Brogel hit 38.9C on Wednesday afternoon, fractionally higher than the previous record of 38.8C set in June 1947, and then subsequently rose to 39.9C. Forecasters said temperatures could climb further on Thursday.

Germany’s national weather service, DWD, said it believed a new all-time national high of 40.5C – 0.2C higher than the record – had been set in the town of Geilenkirchen near the Dutch and Belgian borders, but had still to confirm it.

“The most extreme heat will build from central and northern France into Belgium, the Netherlands and far western Germany into Thursday,” said Eric Leister of the forecasting group AccuWeather.

After several cities in France broke previous temperature records on Tuesday, including Bordeaux, which hit 41.2C, the national weather service, Météo France, said Paris was likely to beat its all-time high of 40.4C, set in July 1947, with 42C on Thursday.

City records in Amsterdam and Brussels are also expected to fall. Cities are particularly vulnerable in heatwaves because of a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, in which concrete buildings and asphalt roads absorb heat during the day and emit it again at night, preventing the city from cooling.

The latest heatwave, caused by an “omega block” – a high-pressure pattern that blocks and diverts the jet stream, allowing a mass of hot air to flow up from northern Africa and the Iberian peninsula – follows a similar extreme weather event last month that made it the hottest June on record.

Quick guide What is causing Europe's heatwaves? Show Hide Is this a record-breaking heatwave? Temperature records for this time of year have already been broken across much of Europe. The highest ever June temperatures were recorded in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Andorra, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany, while France registered an all-time record high of 45.9C. Why is it so hot? The latest heatwave, caused by an “omega block” – a high-pressure pattern that blocks and diverts the jet stream, allowing a mass of hot air to flow up from northern Africa and the Iberian peninsula – follows a similar extreme weather event last month that made it the hottest June on record. Is this heatwave a result of climate breakdown? It is not possible to pin the heatwave definitively on climate change because weather varies naturally. Moreover, the effects of climate change are not simple. For example, heavy rain and cloud across northern Europe is likely to become more common as the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes the jet stream weather system to become fixed in position. However, this year’s weather is certainly in line with the predictions scientists have made of rising temperatures, more heatwaves and prolonged droughts interspersed with periods of heavy flooding. What are the negative impacts of a heatwave? The body’s ability to regulate its own temperature is crucial; babies and older people are less well able to regulate their temperature and should stay in well-ventilated conditions. In the 2003 European heatwave there were about 70,000 excess deaths attributed to the long hot spell. People with underlying illnesses can also have problems, and even those who are healthy can experience difficulty sleeping and discomfort, so people are advised to stay hydrated and wear loose clothing at night. There is also an impact on farmers. While warmth at the right time is crucial for crop growth, excessively high temperatures can inhibit that growth, particularly if they are prolonged. Livestock can also suffer in the heat and need extra care. Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent



The highest ever June temperatures were recorded in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Andorra, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany, while France registered an all-time record high of 45.9C in the southern commune of Gallargues-le-Montueux.

Clare Nullis, a World Meteorological Organization spokeswoman, said the heatwaves bore the “hallmark of climate change”. The extreme events were “becoming more frequent, they’re starting earlier, and they’re becoming more intense”, she said. “It’s not a problem that’s going to go away.”

The 26-28 June heatwave in France was 4C hotter than a June heatwave would have been in 1900, according to World Weather Attribution, a new international programme helping the scientific community to analyse the possible influence of climate breakdown on extreme weather events.

A study published earlier this year by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich said the summer heatwave across northern Europe last year would have been “statistically impossible” without climate change driven by human activity.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rail passengers in Paris are given bottled water as temperatures on the city’s transport network soar. Photograph: Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images

KNMI has issued a code orange extreme temperature warning for all of the Netherlands except the offshore Wadden Islands and implemented its “national heat emergency” plan, while Belgium has taken the unprecedented step of placing the entire country on a code red warning.

Spain has also declared a red alert in the Zaragoza region, where the worst wildfires in 20 years took place last month. The EU’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service warned of an extreme danger of further forest fires in France and Spain on Thursday, with a high or very high threat level in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Portugal.

Twenty French départements were also placed on red alert. Agnès Buzyn, the health minister, said: “Nobody is immune in the face of such extreme temperatures. There are risks even if you are not particularly vulnerable.”

Britain’s Met Office issued similar advice and said the UK all-time high of 38.5C, recorded in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003, could be exceeded on Thursday.

Local authorities in France have placed restrictions on water usage in 73 of the country’s 96 départements following dramatic falls in ground and river water levels. “It’s tricky but under control, but we need to be very vigilant,” said the junior environment minister, Emmanuelle Wargon.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A thermometer shows the temperature outside the town hall of Belin-Béliet in south-western France. Photograph: Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images

The French energy company EDF said it was shutting down two reactors at its Golfech nuclear power plant in the southern Tarn-et-Garonne region in order to limit the heating of water used to keep the reactors cool.

Scientists have said such heatwaves are closely linked to the climate emergency and will be many times more likely over the coming decades.

Last month, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said Europe’s five hottest summers since 1500 had all occurred in the 21st century – in 2002, 2003, 2010, 2016 and 2018.

Monthly records were now falling five times as often as they would in a stable climate, the institute said, adding that this was “a consequence of global warming caused by the increasing greenhouse gases from burning coal, oil and gas”.

• This article was amended on 25 July 2019 to add a temperature announced after publication. The Belgian weather service initially announced that Kleine-Brogel had hit 38.9C, but the temperature later rose to 39.9C. </s> PRAGUE, Czech Republic - France's national weather service issued its highest-level danger alert Thursday as it warned that parts of the country could expect temperatures to reach an “exceptional peak” Friday amid a record-setting heat wave in Europe.

Meteo France raised the hazardous weather warning to “red,” the highest level, for the Marseille and Montpellier areas in southeastern France, forecasting hazardous temperatures of 42-45 degrees Celsius (107-113 F) on Friday.

It was the first red alert Meteo France activated since a four-level weather “vigilance” system was introduced following an estimated 15,000 heat-related deaths in France during a 2003 summer heat wave.

“A heat wave of this amplitude so early in the year, in June, is exceptional,” Meteo France meteorologist France Christelle Robert said. “We should expect more intense and frequent heat waves with climate change, because it will accentuate the extremes.”

The Italian Health Ministry said seven cities, including Florence, Rome and Turin, already were at Italy's highest heat warning level Thursday. On Friday, 16 cities will be under alerts for high temperatures.

Italian authorities instructed people to avoid being outside during the hottest hours of the day and to stay away from areas with a lot of vehicle traffic to prevent ozone exposure.

In France, a red extreme weather warning advises extra precautions for children and older people and cautions that even those in good health are at risk of heat stroke.

Most of the rest of France remained on the next-highest “orange” alert. In Paris and other big cities, including Marseille, authorities banned older cars since high heat exacerbates air pollution.

Amid the blistering weather in Europe, hundreds of firefighters struggled to contain a wildfire in northeastern Spain that forced the evacuation of 53 residents.

Firefighters said temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 F), low humidity and high winds fanned the flames.

Miquel Buch, the regional interior minister, said authorities suspect the Catalonia region's worst fire in two decades started when the heat caused improperly stored chicken manure to combust at a farm.

In the Czech Republic, where a new June temperature record was set this week, were set this week, gorillas and polar bears at Prague's zoo kept cool by eating their own version of sorbet.

Zookeepers have presented the animals with big blocks of frozen water in a form that suits them, and with ingredients to suit their tastes.

The gorillas had two blocks with a mixture of fruits inside, including pieces of orange, apple, pear, kiwi, carrot, pineapple and mango, hanging from ropes in their outdoor enclosure.

The zoo's eight Western lowland gorillas stuck to a clear hierarchy. Richard, the dominant male, had a chunk of ice for him own. The other seven have to share one among them all.

The three polar bears get an icy block each. Fish is the main ingredient. </s> A man enjoys the sunrise on the Drachenberg over Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Temperatures of up to 38 degrees are expected in the German capital. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Torrid weather gripped large parts of western and central Europe on Wednesday, setting new June temperature records in Germany and the Czech Republic and forcing drivers to slow down on some sections of the famously speedy German autobahns.

Authorities imposed speed limits on some autobahns due to concerns the high heat would cause expressway surfaces to buckle. Some French schools stayed closed as a precaution due to worrying hot weather.

German weather agency Deutscher Wetterdienst said a preliminary reading showed the mercury reached 38.6 degrees Celsius (101.5 F) in Coschen, near the Polish border. That’s a tenth of a degree higher than the previous national record for June, set in 1947 in southwestern Germany.

The Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute said the temperature reached 38.5 Celsius (101.3 F) in Doksany — a Czech Republic high for the month. New daily records were set at some 80% of local measuring stations.

And it’s about to get even hotter.

Authorities have warned that temperatures could top 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in parts of continental Europe in the coming days as a plume of dry, hot air moves north from Africa.

The transport ministry in Germany’s eastern Saxony-Anhalt state said it has imposed speed limits of 100 kph or 120 kph (62 mph or 75 mph) on several short stretches of highway until further notice. (same as autobahn above?)

Those stretches usually don’t have speed limits, but officials worry they couldcrack in the heat and endanger drivers.

Professor Hannah Cloke, a natural hazards researcher at Britain’s University of Reading, said the heat along with a build-up of humidity was a “potentially lethal combination.”

“Children, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk,” she said.

Precautionary measures also were taken in France, where temperatures up to 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) are forecast for the Paris area later in the week.

Similarly baking conditions are expected in much of the country, from the Pyrenees in the southwest to the German border in the northeast.

Because such high temperatures are rare in France, most homes and many buildings do not have air conditioning.

In Paris on Wednesday authorities banned older cars from the city for the day as the heat aggravates pollution problems.

Regional authorities estimated the measure, targeting vehicles including gasoline cars from 2005 or older and diesel cars from 2010 or older, affects nearly 60% of vehicles circulating in the Paris region. Violators face fines.

French charities and local officials were providing extra help for the elderly, the homeless and the sick this week, remembering that some 15,000 people, many of them elderly, died in France during a 2003 heat wave.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe cited the heat wave as evidence of climate destabilization and vowed to step up the government’s fight against climate change.

The scorching heat was felt on the streets of Vienna, too.

“We’re slightly below 35 degrees (Celsius) right now,” said Wolfgang Fasching, driver of one of the city’s traditional horse-drawn carriages. “At 35 degrees we go home because then the horses in Vienna get time off due to excessive heat.”

With temperatures in Milan forecast to hit 40 C, an aid group said it was preparing to distribute 10,000 bottles of free water to the homeless and other needy people. The Civil Protection service in Rome also planned to distribute water to people at risk during the hottest hours of the day.

About half of Spain’s provinces are on alert for high temperatures, which are expected to rise as the weekend approaches.

The northeastern city of Zaragoza was forecast to be the hottest on Wednesday at 39 C, building to 44 C on Saturday, according to the government weather agency AEMET.

Some tourists sought relief in Madrid’s green spaces. “It is pretty hot right now, we are dealing with it by trying to stay in the shade here in the park,” said Victoria Poliak from San Diego, California. </s> Europe is preparing for a heat wave, which may become a record for all time of observations.

The peak is expected 26 – 28 June. Under forecasts of weather forecasters, on the territory from Spain to Poland, the temperature will rise by between 11 and 17 degrees above normal: about 35-40C.

In large cities filled with asphalt and concrete, the figures could be even higher, according to

Experts note that the early June heat is especially dangerous, as people have not had time to adapt to the scorching sun after the cold months. At risk: the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, and homeless.

Installed: European heat in 2003 led to the deaths of 70,000 people. The hot summer last year, only in Germany was estimated to have caused thousands of additional deaths.

In 2019 the most extreme weather expects Western and Central Europe, according to meteorologists. Perhaps in some regions of Spain and France within three days will hold the forty-degree heat.

According to the forecasts, on Friday, June 28, the temperature in Madrid will rise to 40.6 degree – this will be the highest figure ever registered.

In Paris is expected to 37 degrees combined with high humidity, aggravating the situation. Experts are almost certain that France will set a new national record heat (+45C), beating the previous high set in 2003 (+44.1 per degree).

New records may also be recorded in Austria (+38,6 C), Germany (+38.5 C.) and Switzerland (+37,2 C).

In England and Ireland, the heat is not so intense, but the temperature in some areas will significantly exceed the norm. In the South of Sweden and in Denmark of a possible heat wave to 32 degrees Celsius.

Experts attribute the heat coming with two anticyclones, one located near Greenland, the other over North-East Europe.

In the coming days they will come together and block the cyclone to the South, which could bring into the European territory of cool air masses.

The combination of zones of high and low pressure will lead to the fact that the plume of hot air from Spain and from the Sahara desert will head to mainland Europe and the United Kingdom.

Experts warn that, in addition to heat, in several countries the possibility of strong thunderstorms.

According to scientists, in the XXI century, Europe experienced the hottest five year periods from 1500 year: 2002, 2003, 2010, 2016 and 2018.

They warn that further warming phenomena such as the extreme heat will be more frequent.

Note, the heat affects not only people, but animals. The inhabitants of the Berlin zoo save a shower and icy treats. </s> Europe is sweltering in intense heat, suffering through the latest heat wave in a summer that has seen at least 12 countries experience record-breaking temperatures.

Meteorologists say Europe is on track for the hottest July on record, following the warmest June since records began in 1880.

Scientists warn the world should expect more scorching heat waves due to climate change and that current temperature highs are in line with predictions made over a decade ago.

Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK all reached record-breaking temperatures this week.

On Wednesday, Belgium endured its hottest day ever recorded, with temperatures rising to 39.9 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit). The Netherlands broke a 75-year record Wednesday, and then hit another all-time high of 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) Thursday, the national weather forecasting institute said. Temperatures there are still climbing.

In the German town of Geilenkirchen, a temperature high of 40.5 degrees Celsius (104.9 Fahrenheit) was recorded Wednesday. The UK experienced its hottest ever July day Thursday, with temperatures predicted to beat the hottest ever recorded temperature of 38.5 Celsius, set in 2003.

All four countries remain on extreme heat alert.

In June, a heat wave broke temperature records in eight countries, including France, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

France reached a scorching 45.9 degrees Celsius (114.6 Fahrenheit). The country is on high alert again, with temperatures of 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) expected in Paris.

The current heat wave presents a serious threat to Notre Dame Cathedral. The roof of Paris’ beloved cathedral, which survived a massive fire months ago, is at risk of collapse, according to chief architect Philippe Villeneuve.

“What I fear is that the joints or the masonry, as they dry, lose their coherence, their cohesion and their structural qualities and that all of sudden, the vault gives way,” he said.

Heat waves such as this one could become the new normal for Europe, driven by rising temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions, scientists say.

“Climate change is without doubt ‘loading the dice’ and making heat waves much more likely and much more severe,” according to Michael Byrne, professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of St Andrews, in Scotland.

A group of European scientists concluded that the June heat wave was made at least five times more likely because of climate change — and perhaps 100 times more likely.

France’s weather service also made the link, issuing a warning that without serious carbon dioxide reductions, heat waves could become more intense and frequent than in the past.

While temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit might not seem high in comparison to some other parts of the world, they are way above seasonal averages for much of Europe.

Many European cities are not designed to deal with such temperatures. Less than 5% of all European households have been air-conditioned, according to a 2017 report, and public transport can grind to a halt in intense heat.

Amid the sweltering heat, trains were canceled in a number of European countries due to risk of derailment.

A Eurostar train traveling from Belgium to London broke down Wednesday, trapping passengers in 40 degrees Celsius heat, without air conditioning.

Network Rail, which operates the UK’s rail infrastructure, said track temperatures in and around London were set to exceed 50 Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), almost double the average summer rail temperature in the UK.

Railway tracks expand in heat and are prone to buckling when temperatures rise.

One solution is to paint rail tracks white to reflect the sun’s heat, according to John Easton, a rail expert at the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

“This can reduce the track temperature by 5°C and reduces signaling failures which lead to significant disruption,” he said, adding that Italy uses the technique to lower the risk of buckling.

It is not just public transport that is grinding to a halt because of the heat. In southern France, EDF energy group closed its nuclear power plant as temperatures rose above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

“The reason for the cut in output is not because of a technical problem, but an environmental one regarding heating up the river water beyond what is safe for marine life,” according to a spokesperson for the Nuclear Industry Association.

Heat waves pose serious health risks and can cause cardiovascular and respiratory systems to fail, resulting in premature death, Clare Heaviside, of the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI), told CNN.

Elderly people are most at risk as they are more prone to heatstroke. Experts advise they should keep windows closed and pull blinds down during the hottest part of the day.

European countries must accept the reality of climate change and learn to adapt to extreme weather events, according to Dr Friederike Otto, director of the ECI.

Otto said France took important mitigation measures after a heat wave in 2003 contributed to tens of thousands of premature deaths.

“France made heat plans to better prepare and reduce mortality. These were activated during the June 2019 heat wave and measures including closing schools and setting up helplines reduced the impacts,” he said.

Paolo Ruti, a climate scientist at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), told CNN cities could adopt a host of measures to reduce heat impacts, including installing mist spray systems at bus stops and stations, as well as whitening roofs, which would help cool buildings.

It’s not just heat waves, and it’s not just Europe. Countries around the world are experiencing extreme weather catastrophes that threaten to render entire regions unlivable — India is swinging between extreme drought and fatal flooding, 157 million Americans were gripped by a stifling heat wave last week, and the Arctic is facing “unprecedented” wildfires. </s> Kirsten Grieshaber and Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press 

 



BERLIN -- Europeans cooled off in public fountains Wednesday as a new heat wave spread across parts of the continent and was already breaking records.

Belgium and Germany registered their highest-ever temperatures, while the Netherlands saw its hottest day in 75 years.

And the mercury is expected to rise even further.

Paris and other parts of France could see temperatures exceeding 40 C (104 F) on Thursday along with Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

The heat is putting pressure on authorities to help protect the elderly and the sick. Air conditioning is not common at homes, offices, schools or hospitals in European cities.

The weather is also aggravating droughts since it hasn't rained much in many parts of Europe this summer. The combination of heat, wind and possible lightning from thunderstorms also increases the risk of wildfires.

WHY IS IT SO HOT?

The second likely-to-be-record-breaking heat wave in two months in Europe includes some of the same ingredients of the first -- hot dry air coming from northern Africa. That hot air is trapped between cold stormy systems in the Atlantic and eastern Europe and forms "a little heat dome," said Ryan Maue, a private meteorologist in the U.S.

This heat wave is a relatively short event where the heat comes with a southerly wind -- and dust -- from Africa's Sahara Desert, in contrast to the big European heat waves of 2003 and 2010 which lasted much longer and were sustained by a stationary high pressure system with little wind, experts say.

At the end of June, several countries reported record temperatures, and France hit its all-time heat record: 46 C (114.8 F) in the small southern town of Verargues.

Heat waves are happening more frequently in large parts of Europe, Asia and Australia, experts say. As the world warms, scientists say there will be more and hotter heat waves, but attributing single events to climate change involves precise computer modeling and calculations.

A team of European climate scientists did a quick, non-peer reviewed analysis of Europe's June heat wave and found man-made warming made it at least five times more likely.

"Either of the two European heat waves this summer would have been remarkable in isolation. But now we are seeing multiple episodes of record heat in a given summer. By mid-century, we will simply call these episodes 'summer' -- if we continue on this trajectory," said Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann, who wasn't part of the European group.

The heat waves aren't just because the world is 1 degree Celsius warmer than before the industrial era, but also because climate change and the melting of Arctic sea ice has slowed down the jet stream, which is the river of air that moves weather along, Mann said. The slow jet stream is "a big part of the story when it comes to these very persistent heat extremes we have seen in recent summers," Mann said in an email.

HOW HOT COULD IT GET THIS WEEK AND WHERE?

Temperatures in France especially are likely to be 15 C (27 F) higher than normal, with Paris likely to break its all-time hottest record mark of 40.4 degrees (104.7 Fahrenheit). Surrounding areas around Paris may hit 41 or 42 C (106 to 108 Fahrenheit), weather experts said.

The Dutch meteorological institute tweeted that Wednesday's heat wave broke a record that stood for nearly 75 years of the hottest temperature ever recorded in the Netherlands. The Dutch weather service Weerplaza said that the southern city of Eindhoven reported a temperature of 39.3 (102.7 F) Wednesday afternoon.

Belgium measured its highest temperature since records were first kept in 1833.In sun-baked Kleine Brogel in northeastern Belgium, temperatures rose to 39.9 C (102.3 F), and the weather forecaster of the Royal Meteorological Institute said that it was "the highest ever Belgian temperature."

Also, temperatures won't cool down much at night, and maybe stay around 24 C (75 F) or higher.

The German Weather Service said a record high of 40.5 C (104.9 F) for the country was recorded in Geilenkirchen and put the entire country on heat alert. The previous record of 40.3 C (104.5 F) was set in 2015.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE AND AUTHORITIES DOING TO STAY COOL?

France in particular is haunted by the 2003 heat wave that killed an estimated 15,000 people there, most of them isolated elderly people whose families in many cases were on vacation. The country has since taken measures to try to ensure such a catastrophe isn't repeated.

Those measures include a colour-coded heat alert system to warn people when temperatures are expected to rise to dangerous levels in their area. The alert system went to its maximum level of red for the first time during last month's heat wave, when France saw its highest-ever recorded temperature.

There are also public service announcements on television, radio and in public transportation systems about risks of high temperatures, telling people to drink water and watch out for isolated elderly people.

Millions of euros in extra funding for emergency services, including more staff members in hospitals and nursing homes overwhelmed in 2003. A government report at the time blamed the death toll on lack of co-ordination among government agencies, nursing homes that lacked air conditioning and overnight staff, lack of a public alert system, and other problems.

Still, few homes in France or Germany have air conditioning, and many public buildings also lack air conditioning, including hospitals and schools.

In the Netherlands, local authorities have taken an unusual precaution -- with trucks scattering salt on the roads like they usually do in the winter.

The salt spreaders are usually used to prevent ice forming on Dutch roads in the cold, but Arnhem municipality started using them to cool off asphalt that is baking in the heat wave.

The city says in a statement that the salt "attracts moisture from the air and cools the asphalt." It also prevents the asphalt from becoming sticky.

Across London, authorities started handing out water and sunscreen to homeless people and opened day centres for them to rest and shower. In the Lewisham district of the British capital, garbage collectors will start working as early as 5 a.m. in the morning to beat the heat.

London police warned people not to swim in the city's River Thames after a young man died there Tuesday night.

"Whilst at times, the Thames may look appealing, especially in this hot weather, it remains very dangerous all year round," police said in a statement. "On initial entry the water can seem warm on the surface, but further in it can be freezing cold and there are often very strong undercurrents."

WHEN IS IT OVER?

The heat wave will end in a few days. On the weekend, temperatures are expected to fall. However, quite often end of a heat wave brings storms, including lightning and heavy flooding.

Seth Borenstein reported from Washington. Elaine Ganley and Angela Charlton in Paris, Natasha Livingstone in London, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed reporting </s> A couple holds an umbrella to protect from the sun Thursday, June 27, 2019 at the Louvre museum in Paris. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

PRAGUE (AP) — France’s national weather service issued its highest-level danger alert Thursday as it warned that parts of the country could expect temperatures to reach an “exceptional peak” Friday amid a record-setting heat wave in Europe.

Meteo France raised the hazardous weather warning to “red,” the highest level, for the Marseille and Montpellier areas in southeastern France, forecasting hazardous temperatures of 42-45 degrees Celsius (107-113 F) on Friday.

It was the first red alert Meteo France activated since a four-level weather “vigilance” system was introduced following an estimated 15,000 heat-related deaths in France during a 2003 summer heat wave.

“A heat wave of this amplitude so early in the year, in June, is exceptional,” Meteo France meteorologist France Christelle Robert said. “We should expect more intense and frequent heat waves with climate change, because it will accentuate the extremes.”

The Italian Health Ministry said seven cities, including Florence, Rome and Turin, already were at Italy’s highest heat warning level Thursday. On Friday, 16 cities will be under alerts for high temperatures.

Italian authorities instructed people to avoid being outside during the hottest hours of the day and to stay away from areas with a lot of vehicle traffic to prevent ozone exposure.

In France, a red extreme weather warning advises extra precautions for children and older people and cautions that even those in good health are at risk of heat stroke.

Most of the rest of France remained on the next-highest “orange” alert. In Paris and other big cities, including Marseille, authorities banned older cars since high heat exacerbates air pollution.

Amid the blistering weather in Europe, hundreds of firefighters struggled to contain a wildfire in northeastern Spain that forced the evacuation of 53 residents.

Firefighters said temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 F), low humidity and high winds fanned the flames.

Miquel Buch, the regional interior minister, said authorities suspect the Catalonia region’s worst fire in two decades started when the heat caused improperly stored chicken manure to combust at a farm.

In the Czech Republic, where a new June temperature record was set this week, were set this week, gorillas and polar bears at Prague’s zoo kept cool by eating their own version of sorbet.

Zookeepers have presented the animals with big blocks of frozen water in a form that suits them, and with ingredients to suit their tastes.

The gorillas had two blocks with a mixture of fruits inside, including pieces of orange, apple, pear, kiwi, carrot, pineapple and mango, hanging from ropes in their outdoor enclosure.

The zoo’s eight Western lowland gorillas stuck to a clear hierarchy. Richard, the dominant male, had a chunk of ice for him own. The other seven have to share one among them all.

The three polar bears get an icy block each. Fish is the main ingredient. </s> France’s national weather service issued its highest-level danger alert as it warned that parts of the country could expect temperatures to reach an “exceptional peak” on Friday amid a record-setting heatwave in Europe.

Meteo France raised the hazardous weather warning to “red” on Thursday – the highest level – for the Marseille and Montpellier areas in southeastern France, forecasting hazardous temperatures of 42C-45C (107F-113F).

It was the first red alert Meteo France has activated since a four-level weather “vigilance” system was introduced following an estimated 15,000 heat-related deaths in France during a 2003 summer heatwave.

“A heatwave of this amplitude so early in the year, in June, is exceptional,” Meteo France meteorologist France Christelle Robert said.

“We should expect more intense and frequent heatwaves with climate change, because it will accentuate the extremes.”

The Italian health ministry said seven cities, including Florence, Rome and Turin, were already at Italy’s highest heat warning level on Thursday.

On Friday, 16 cities would be under alerts for high temperatures.

The Italian authorities have instructed people to avoid being outside during the hottest hours of the day and to stay away from areas with a lot of vehicle traffic to prevent ozone exposure.

In France, a red extreme weather warning advises extra precautions for children and older people and cautions that even those in good health are at risk of heat stroke.

Most of the rest of France remained on the next highest “orange” alert.

In Paris and other big cities, including Marseille, authorities banned older cars as high heat exacerbates air pollution.

Amid the blistering weather in Europe, hundreds of firefighters struggled to contain a wildfire in northeastern Spain that forced the evacuation of 53 residents.

Firefighters said temperatures over 30C (86 F), low humidity and high winds had fanned the flames.

In the Czech Republic, where a new June temperature record was set this week, gorillas and polar bears at Prague’s zoo kept cool by eating their own version of sorbet.

Zookeepers presented the animals with big blocks of frozen water with ingredients to suit their tastes. </s> BERLIN (AP) — Europeans cooled off in public fountains Wednesday as a new heat wave spread across parts of the continent and was already breaking records.

Belgium and Germany registered their highest-ever temperatures, while the Netherlands saw its hottest day in 75 years.

And the mercury is expected to rise even further.

Paris and other parts of France could see temperatures exceeding 40 C (104 F) on Thursday along with Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

The heat is putting pressure on authorities to help protect the elderly and the sick. Air conditioning is not common at homes, offices, schools or hospitals in European cities.

The weather is also aggravating droughts since it hasn’t rained much in many parts of Europe this summer. The combination of heat, wind and possible lightning from thunderstorms also increases the risk of wildfires.

WHY IS IT SO HOT?

The second likely-to-be-record-breaking heat wave in two months in Europe includes some of the same ingredients of the first — hot dry air coming from northern Africa. That hot air is trapped between cold stormy systems in the Atlantic and eastern Europe and forms “a little heat dome,” said Ryan Maue, a private meteorologist in the U.S.

This heat wave is a relatively short event where the heat comes with a southerly wind — and dust — from Africa’s Sahara Desert, in contrast to the big European heat waves of 2003 and 2010 which lasted much longer and were sustained by a stationary high pressure system with little wind, experts say.

At the end of June, several countries reported record temperatures, and France hit its all-time heat record: 46 C (114.8 F) in the small southern town of Verargues.

Heat waves are happening more frequently in large parts of Europe, Asia and Australia, experts say. As the world warms, scientists say there will be more and hotter heat waves, but attributing single events to climate change involves precise computer modeling and calculations.

A team of European climate scientists did a quick, non-peer reviewed analysis of Europe’s June heat wave and found man-made warming made it at least five times more likely.

“Either of the two European heat waves this summer would have been remarkable in isolation. But now we are seeing multiple episodes of record heat in a given summer. By mid-century, we will simply call these episodes ‘summer’ — if we continue on this trajectory,” said Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann, who wasn’t part of the European group.

The heat waves aren’t just because the world is 1 degree Celsius warmer than before the industrial era, but also because climate change and the melting of Arctic sea ice has slowed down the jet stream, which is the river of air that moves weather along, Mann said. The slow jet stream is “a big part of the story when it comes to these very persistent heat extremes we have seen in recent summers,” Mann said in an email.

HOW HOT COULD IT GET THIS WEEK AND WHERE?

Temperatures in France especially are likely to be 15 C (27 F) higher than normal, with Paris likely to break its all-time hottest record mark of 40.4 degrees (104.7 Fahrenheit). Surrounding areas around Paris may hit 41 or 42 C (106 to 108 Fahrenheit), weather experts said.

The Dutch meteorological institute tweeted that Wednesday’s heat wave broke a record that stood for nearly 75 years of the hottest temperature ever recorded in the Netherlands. The Dutch weather service Weerplaza said that the southern city of Eindhoven reported a temperature of 39.3 (102.7 F) Wednesday afternoon.

Belgium measured its highest temperature since records were first kept in 1833. In sun-baked Kleine Brogel in northeastern Belgium, temperatures rose to 39.9 C (102.3 F), and the weather forecaster of the Royal Meteorological Institute said that it was “the highest ever Belgian temperature.”

Also, temperatures won’t cool down much at night, and maybe stay around 24 C (75 F) or higher.

The German Weather Service said a probable record high of 40.5 C (104.9 F) for the country was recorded in Geilenkirchen and put the entire country on heat alert. The previous record of 40.3 C (104.5 F) was set in 2015.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE AND AUTHORITIES DOING TO STAY COOL?

France in particular is haunted by the 2003 heat wave that killed an estimated 15,000 people there, most of them isolated elderly people whose families in many cases were on vacation. The country has since taken measures to try to ensure such a catastrophe isn’t repeated.

Those measures include a color-coded heat alert system to warn people when temperatures are expected to rise to dangerous levels in their area. The alert system went to its maximum level of red for the first time during last month’s heat wave, when France saw its highest-ever recorded temperature.

There are also public service announcements on television, radio and in public transportation systems about risks of high temperatures, telling people to drink water and watch out for isolated elderly people.

Millions of euros in extra funding for emergency services, including more staff members in hospitals and nursing homes overwhelmed in 2003. A government report at the time blamed the death toll on lack of coordination among government agencies, nursing homes that lacked air conditioning and overnight staff, lack of a public alert system, and other problems.

Still, few homes in France or Germany have air conditioning, and many public buildings also lack air conditioning, including hospitals and schools.

In the Netherlands, local authorities have taken an unusual precaution — with trucks scattering salt on the roads like they usually do in the winter.

The salt spreaders are usually used to prevent ice forming on Dutch roads in the cold, but Arnhem municipality started using them to cool off asphalt that is baking in the heat wave.

The city says in a statement that the salt “attracts moisture from the air and cools the asphalt.” It also prevents the asphalt from becoming sticky.

Across London, authorities started handing out water and sunscreen to homeless people and opened day centers for them to rest and shower. In the Lewisham district of the British capital, garbage collectors will start working as early as 5 a.m. in the morning to beat the heat.

London police warned people not to swim in the city’s River Thames after a young man died there Tuesday night.

“Whilst at times, the Thames may look appealing, especially in this hot weather, it remains very dangerous all year round,” police said in a statement. “On initial entry the water can seem warm on the surface, but further in it can be freezing cold and there are often very strong undercurrents.”

WHEN IS IT OVER?

The heat wave will end in a few days. On the weekend, temperatures are expected to fall. However, quite often end of a heat wave brings storms, including lightning and heavy flooding.

Seth Borenstein reported from Washington. Elaine Ganley and Angela Charlton in Paris, Natasha Livingstone in London, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed reporting.

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Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic record their highest ever recorded temperatures for June amid a heat wave in Western and Central Europe.