Paris, France. Large parts of Western Europe remained under a deadly heatwave on Thursday, with dozens of deaths reported, power supplies disrupted, and schools and cultural landmarks closed. Paris faced another extremely hot day after the French capital recorded a June high of 40.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
Record temperatures and warnings
Britain also registered its highest temperature for June on Wednesday, with 36.1 degrees Celsius recorded in southern England as an early summer heat dome covered much of Western Europe.
Emmanuel Gregoire, the mayor of Paris, urged residents to slow down and take precautions. Speaking on broadcaster TF1, he said people aged between 50 and 70 who are generally in good health were among those currently facing health risks because they may continue their usual activities without adapting to the extreme conditions.
Deaths and public health concerns
French authorities said at least 48 people had died from drowning since the start of the heatwave while trying to cool off. Two young children also died after being exposed to heat in a car.
France introduced a number of heatwave measures after the 2003 heatwave, which caused nearly 15,000 excess deaths, with elderly people the hardest hit. Those changes included regular checks on older people and allowing retirement home residents to spend several hours a day in air-conditioned rooms.
Rising demand for cooling
Air conditioning remains relatively uncommon in Europe, but Asian manufacturers including Samsung Electronics, Midea and Mitsubishi Electric are seeing increased sales, with strong demand reported in countries including France, Spain and Italy.
Weather pattern behind the heatwave
According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, the heatwave is being driven by a weather pattern known as an Omega block, pushing temperatures as much as 18 degrees Celsius above normal.
