Posted on 07/20/2006 4:52:58 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
PARIS (AFP) - Vast swathes of Europe have baked in tropical temperatures that have claimed nine lives in France alone, but summer thunderstorms brought some welcome relief.
A 32-year-old man died in Spain after suffering heatstroke while working on a farm in Caceres in the east, local health authorities said on Thursday. He was Spain's third heatwave victim after a builder died in Murcia in the south on Sunday and a 44-year-old man died on Tuesday in Galicia in the northwest.
Sixteen people have died so far across Europe, where thermometers have hovered over the 30 degrees Celsius mark (86 degrees Fahrenheit) for several days, but authorities in France said that measures implemented following the 2003 heatwave had averted another disaster.
More than 35,000 mainly elderly people died across Europe in 2003, including about 15,000 in France, as a result of dehydration and heat stroke.
In recent days, at least nine people have died from heat-related deaths in France. Germany, the Netherlands and Spain have reported two deaths each.
Parisians got welcome relief from the suffocating heat on Thursday as the city opened its annual artifical beach along the banks of the capital's Seine river.
The four-week-long Paris Plage initiative was extended this year with the creation of another beach on the Left Bank and a second swimming pool where residents and tourists could escape the summer heat.
Britain also sweltered with temperatures rivalling many of Europe's traditional summer hotspots such as Rome or Athens.
The thermometer hit 36.3 C just south of London on Wednesday, the hottest July day since 1911 when records began. The all-time record of 38.5 C, set in August 2003, still stands.
Meteorologists in Britain estimated that temperatures had peaked for the week but many counties, particularly in the south, were still expected to swelter in over 30 C. The average temperature in Britain in July is 22 C.
Denmark also recorded exceptionally high temperatures with beaches and parks packed by residents seeking cool water or shade.
The heatwave has been a boon for many Danish businesses as ice-cream sales have shot up 21 percent, sunglasses by 50 percent and entries to children's swimming pools have increased 25 percent.
But the heat has also brought drought.
Several Polish deputies on Thursday held mass in the parliamentary chapel to pray for rain.
Fires have flared across Europe as baked earth and scorched vegetation have created ideal conditions to fan flames far and wide.
In Portugal, 700 firefighters are battling at least nine separate forest fires across the country in temperatures reaching 41 C.
More than 600 hectares (1,500 acres) of agricultural land was destroyed by blazes in France on Wednesday alone.
In central and northern Croatia, more than 250 hectares of forest and woodland have gone up in smoke over the last two days, local television stations reported.
The head of a French research laboratory said the unusually high temperatures were linked to global warming.
"The rules are changing, there's no doubt about it. This is the start of a process. We can expect heatwaves to be more frequent and more extreme as a result of the general rise in temperatures linked to greenhouse gas emissions," said Herve Le Treut, director of the National Centre for Scientific Research.
Germany said the exceptional heat had increased ozone pollution to potentially harmful levels in parts of the country and only storms could clear the air. "We are at the start of a cycle of ozone pollution," said an official at the federal bureau for the environment.
Dead fishes sit in the completely dry river bed of Schwarze Elster river in the east German town of Senftenberg Thursday, July 20, 2006. After a long period without rain and high temperatures the 179 kilometres long tributary of the Elbe has no more water. (AP Photo/Sven Kaestner)
Pinky and Perky two four week old miniature piglets cool off at Pennywell Farm and Wildlife centre near Buckfastleigh, south western England Wednesday July 19, 2006 in this photo provided by the centre. The piglets were keeping cool with a huge lolly packed with carrots and other vegetables. 'The recent heatwave has been exhausting for everyone and animals are no exception,' said Catherine Tozer, assistant manager of the farm. 'All the animals have been struggling with the heat so we have just tried to do everything we can to make them more comfortable. 'After the initial shock and a bit of investigation, the ice lollies went down a real treat,' she said.(AP Photo/Pennywell Farm and Wildlife Centre, Catherine Tozer)
Tourists seek relief from a heat wave in the fountains near the Eiffel Tower in Paris July 19, 2006. France's main electricity provider, EDF, said on Wednesday the current heatwave had forced it to buy power abroad and it asked large customers to ease back on electricity consumption. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE)
A beach-goer walks towards the sea with an inflatable boat during a heatwave in Skegness, eastern England, July 19, 2006. Wednesday's temperatures in Britain were expected to top 37 degrees Celcius (98.6 Fahrenheit), hitting an all-time high for July. REUTERS/Darren Staples (BRITAIN)
Excuse my possible ignorance, but 86 doesn't seem hot. It's 104 today in Sacramento..will be 112 on Saturday. That's hot.
jeepers, nothing is ever anyone's fault except for W's, and mine on occasion... summer happens every year about this time... don't they ever tell people to go inside when it gets hot?
"...Sixteen people have died so far across Europe, where thermometers have hovered over the 30 degrees Celsius mark (86 degrees Fahrenheit) for several days..."
They don't breed those folks too tough over there, do they? I just rode my bicycle over forty miles in 100* Fahrenheit weather and I simply packed high-energy snacks and drank plenty of chilled water from my water bottles. It wasn't that difficult at all.
~ Blue Jays ~
"Perfect, perfect."
but it's a dry hot,, if you're lucky. lol.
For some places, I guess that is a heat wave, wow.
We're pushing 100 here in San Josie and hotter thru Saturday.. I'm about ready to go splash in the pool for a bit..
In some parts of Europe,that's pretty warm.Ireland,for example.Also bear in mind that AC isn't nearly as widely used in Europe as it is here.
Posting from Arizona here.. 86 degrees sounds like a piece of cake. Must be the humidity.
I went to an outdoor wedding in Lincoln, CA where is was 108 at gametime and I was in a suit.
You ever try doing the chicken dance in a suit when it's 108 in the shade?
Euro-wimps.
More likely the fact it is not yet August (vacation month) is what is saving the elderly. Otherwise, the rest of the country would be at the beach and Grandma would be out of luck, just like in 2003.
Yeah - I try to avoid the "my town's hotter than your town" stuff when this comes up but 86? Come on, people!
They're calling for a weekend average high of 100 in northern Idaho. I may switch to shorts. I can't go outside if I do that, though, or the FAA yells at me for my legs blinding airline pilots.
86 at Lake Arrowhead..per your screen page. Sounds like heaven. The older I get the less I can 'handle' the heat. Kind of like a perpetual hot flash. ugh.
Don't those losers have air-conditioning?
They are wimps! High here Tuesday was 107 and I walked my dog two miles that evening after it dropped to a chilly 101.
100 in Northern Idaho?! Didn't know it got that toasty there.
There's a fair amount of humidity in Texas, right?
Depends in which part of the state you're in. Here in Central Texas it can get humid, but this week we've been hovering around 30%. I have to admit I'm too wimpy for Houston where the humidity is always high.
86 degrees are killing people?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.