Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 25 July 2019

Europe heat wave breaks records, mercury set to go higher

BY KIRSTEN GRIESHABER tals and nursing homes
SETH BORENSTEIN overwhelmed in 2003. A
Associated Press government report at the
BERLIN (AP) — Europeans time blamed the death
cooled off in public foun- toll on lack of coordination
tains Wednesday as a new among government agen-
heat wave spread across cies, nursing homes that
parts of the continent and lacked air conditioning
was already breaking re- and overnight staff, lack of
cords. a public alert system, and
Belgium and Germany reg- other problems.
istered their highest-ever Still, few homes in France
temperatures, while the or Germany have air con-
Netherlands saw its hottest ditioning, and many public
day in 75 years. buildings also lack air con-
And the mercury is expect- ditioning, including hospi-
ed to rise even further. tals and schools.
Paris and other parts of In the Netherlands, local
France could see tempera- authorities have taken an
tures exceeding 40 C (104 unusual precaution — with
F) on Thursday along with trucks scattering salt on the
Germany, Belgium, Neth- roads like they usually do in
erlands, Luxembourg and People cool down in the fountains as temperatures reached 30 degrees Celsius, at Toldbod Plads the winter.
Switzerland. in Aalborg, Denmark, Wednesday July 24, 2019. The salt spreaders are usu-
The heat is putting pres- Associated Press ally used to prevent ice
sure on authorities to help gues. big part of the story when The German Weather Ser- forming on Dutch roads
protect the elderly and the IS CLIMATE CHANGE CAUS- it comes to these very per- vice said a record high in the cold, but Arnhem
sick. Air conditioning is not ING THIS? sistent heat extremes we of 40.5 C (104.9 F) for the municipality started using
common at homes, offices, Heat waves are happen- have seen in recent sum- country was recorded in them to cool off asphalt
schools or hospitals in Euro- ing more frequently in large mers,” Mann said in an Geilenkirchen and put that is baking in the heat
pean cities. parts of Europe, Asia and email. the entire country on heat wave.
The weather is also ag- Australia, experts say. As HOW HOT COULD IT GET alert. The previous record The city says in a statement
gravating droughts since the world warms, scientists THIS WEEK AND WHERE? of 40.3 C (104.5 F) was set that the salt “attracts mois-
it hasn’t rained much in say there will be more and Temperatures in France es- in 2015. ture from the air and cools
many parts of Europe this hotter heat waves, but at- pecially are likely to be 15 WHAT ARE PEOPLE AND AU- the asphalt.” It also pre-
summer. The combination tributing single events to C (27 F) higher than normal, THORITIES DOING TO STAY vents the asphalt from be-
of heat, wind and possible climate change involves with Paris likely to break its COOL? coming sticky.
lightning from thunder- precise computer model- all-time hottest record mark France in particular is Across London, authorities
storms also increases the ing and calculations. of 40.4 degrees (104.7 Fahr- haunted by the 2003 heat started handing out water
risk of wildfires. A team of European cli- enheit). Surrounding areas wave that killed an estimat- and sunscreen to homeless
WHY IS IT SO HOT? mate scientists did a quick, around Paris may hit 41 or ed 15,000 people there, people and opened day
The second likely-to-be-re- non-peer reviewed analy- 42 C (106 to 108 Fahren- most of them isolated el- centers for them to rest and
cord-breaking heat wave sis of Europe’s June heat heit), weather experts said. derly people whose fami- shower. In the Lewisham
in two months in Europe wave and found man- The Dutch meteorologi- lies in many cases were on district of the British capi-
includes some of the same made warming made it at cal institute tweeted that vacation. The country has tal, garbage collectors will
ingredients of the first — hot least five times more likely. Wednesday’s heat wave since taken measures to try start working as early as 5
dry air coming from north- “Either of the two European broke a record that stood to ensure such a catastro- a.m. in the morning to beat
ern Africa. That hot air is heat waves this summer for nearly 75 years of the phe isn’t repeated. the heat. London police
trapped between cold would have been remark- hottest temperature ever Those measures include warned people not to swim
stormy systems in the Atlan- able in isolation. But now recorded in the Nether- a color-coded heat alert in the city’s River Thames
tic and eastern Europe and we are seeing multiple lands. The Dutch weather system to warn people after a young man died
forms “a little heat dome,” episodes of record heat in service Weerplaza said when temperatures are there Tuesday night.
said Ryan Maue, a private a given summer. By mid- that the southern city of expected to rise to dan- “Whilst at times, the Thames
meteorologist in the U.S. century, we will simply call Eindhoven reported a tem- gerous levels in their area. may look appealing, espe-
This heat wave is a rela- these episodes ‘summer’ perature of 39.3 (102.7 F) The alert system went to cially in this hot weather,
tively short event where the — if we continue on this tra- Wednesday afternoon. its maximum level of red it remains very dangerous
heat comes with a souther- jectory,” said Pennsylvania Belgium measured its high- for the first time during last all year round,” police said
ly wind — and dust — from State University climate sci- est temperature since re- month’s heat wave, when in a statement. “On initial
Africa’s Sahara Desert, in entist Michael Mann, who cords were first kept in France saw its highest-ever entry the water can seem
contrast to the big Europe- wasn’t part of the Europe- 1833. In sun-baked Kleine recorded temperature. warm on the surface, but
an heat waves of 2003 and an group. Brogel in northeastern Bel- There are also public ser- further in it can be freezing
2010 which lasted much The heat waves aren’t just gium, temperatures rose vice announcements on cold and there are often
longer and were sustained because the world is 1 de- to 39.9 C (102.3 F), and the television, radio and in pub- very strong undercurrents.”
by a stationary high pres- gree Celsius warmer than weather forecaster of the lic transportation systems WHEN IS IT OVER?
sure system with little wind, before the industrial era, Royal Meteorological In- about risks of high tem- The heat wave will end in
experts say. but also because climate stitute said that it was “the peratures, telling people to a few days. On the week-
At the end of June, several change and the melting of highest ever Belgian tem- drink water and watch out end, temperatures are ex-
countries reported record Arctic sea ice has slowed perature.” for isolated elderly people. pected to fall. However,
temperatures, and France down the jet stream, which Also, temperatures won’t Millions of euros in extra quite often end of a heat
hit its all-time heat record: is the river of air that moves cool down much at night, funding for emergency wave brings storms, includ-
46 C (114.8 F) in the small weather along, Mann said. and maybe stay around 24 services, including more ing lightning and heavy
southern town of Verar- The slow jet stream is “a C (75 F) or higher. staff members in hospi- flooding.q