Europe has been gripped by record-breaking heat since May. London broke its 104-year-old spring temperature record in a single day, and casualties are mounting as citizens who jumped into rivers and lakes to escape the heat have lost their lives.
According to the AP and CNN on Tuesday (local time), London's Kew Gardens hit a daytime high of 35.1℃ the previous day, setting a new all-time May temperature record. The figure far exceeded the UK's previous spring (March-May) record of 32.8℃ set in 1922. The average late-May daytime high in London is around 20℃.
The heat continued through the night in London, with tropical night conditions in which temperatures did not fall below 20℃. The problem is that air conditioning penetration in British homes stands at just 5 percent. On top of that, a significant number of homes have poor insulation, leaving them highly vulnerable to extreme heat.
The UK's Climate Change Committee warned in a recent report that "the UK is a country built for a climate that no longer exists." This means that cities and housing built around a previously mild climate are structurally ill-equipped to withstand the current heat.
The cause of this heatwave has been identified as a "heat dome" phenomenon, in which high pressure presses down on the atmosphere like a pot lid, trapping hot air in one region. France's national weather service Météo-France explained that the heat dome had pushed temperatures in some areas more than 10℃ above seasonal norms.
Major European cities were no exception. Southwestern France hit 36℃ and Seville, Spain reached 38℃. Southern Spain was forecast to climb to 40℃ later in the week. Rome, Italy also saw daytime highs soar to 32℃.
Climate experts stressed that this heatwave is not simply an anomaly. Peter Thorne, director of the ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University in Ireland, told the AP, "There is no doubt that this heatwave has been made more frequent and more intense by climate change," adding, "Even so, the records coming out of the UK and France are mind-blowing in scale."
Stephen Dixon, a UK Met Office spokesperson, also told CNN that "what used to be a once-in-a-century May record is now a once-in-33-years event."
Casualties from the heat are mounting. In the UK, four teenagers drowned while swimming in lakes and reservoirs, and a man in his 60s died off the coast of southwestern England. The French government said at least seven deaths had been directly or indirectly linked to the heatwave, including five drownings and two deaths during sporting events.
There are structural issues as well. Some beaches along France's Atlantic coast do not deploy lifeguards before the peak summer season under normal conditions. But this year, with the heat arriving far earlier than usual, beachgoers flocked to the shore before adequate rescue staffing was in place.
The UK Health Security Agency issued health alerts for much of the country through Thursday, advising the elderly and vulnerable groups in particular to refrain from outdoor activities during daytime hours.
Experts warn that early-season heatwaves may no longer be exceptional. According to CNN, more than 62,000 people died in Europe last year from heat-related causes. CNN reported that "while this year is projected to be the hottest on record, the present may also be one of the coolest periods of our lifetimes."
