Death Toll Mounts in Europe as Wildfires and Heatwaves Inflict Havoc

THE GUARDIAN: Parts of France record highest-ever temperatures of plus-40C as wildfires ravage parts of continent

A firefighter battles a wildfire near La Teste-de-Buch, Gironde, in south-west France.Photograph: Clement Viala/infobassin.com/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock
Several towns and cities in France have recorded their highest-ever temperatures as nearly 2,000 firefighters continued to battle huge blazes in the south-west and a searing heatwave gripping much of western Europe moved north and east.

Nantes, near the Atlantic coast, recorded 42C on Monday, beating a previous high of 40.3C set in 1949, while Brest, in Brittany, hit 39.9C, more than four degrees higher than its 2002 record of 35.1C.

Night-time temperature records were also set, including at La Hague in Normandy where 32.8C was recorded at 3am on Tuesday. Officials said France’s entire west coast, from Landes in the south to Finistère in the north, was affected.

Records were expected to be smashed again on Tuesday, meteorologists said, as the mass of hot air, the second to engulf large parts of the continent in recent weeks, moved north and east into eastern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Britain was also set to record its highest ever temperature.

The Dutch KNMI weather service said temperatures could top 38C on Tuesday, issuing a code orange extreme weather warning of risk to life in the centre and south of the country, while officials in Belgium warned of 40C-plus temperatures. » | Jon Henley Europe correspondent | Tuesday, July 19, 2022

UK records its highest-ever temperature, as heatwave batters Europe: Heat measured at 39.1 degrees Celsius; at least five people drown while trying to cool off; wildfires continue to spread in France »

Heat Emergency Declared in England as Temperature Expected to Hit 40C

THE GUARDIAN: Heatwave arriving on Sunday expected to bring most extreme hot weather ever recorded in UK

The UK government has issued the first ever national emergency red alert for heat ahead of expected record temperatures on Monday and Tuesday, with the hottest areas set to be in central and eastern England.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has increased the “heat-health warning” alert for England to level 4 – the highest possible – for the first two days of next week, when the Met Office has forecast 40C (104F) for the first time.

The red alert, issued at 10.29am on Friday on the Met Office website, explains the level means a “national emergency”. It says it is “reached when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system. At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups.” » | Robert Booth, Peter Walker and Gwyn Topham | Friday, July 15, 2022

Inside Story Americas – Extreme Weather: Linked to Climate Change?
Extreme weather has gripped much of the United States recently and thousands of heat records have been broken. At least 46 deaths have been linked to the July heat wave alone. A study released this week shows that the last 12 months have been the warmest on record for the US mainland. And these numbers do not even include July's high temperatures. In late June, a violent weather system left more than a dozen people dead and millions without power for days across several states. Most of the country is suffering from moderate to extreme drought, creating conditions ideal for raging wildfires.