Europe is gripped by record-breaking heatwave.
Europe is experiencing a scorching heatwave on June 24th, breaking records and leaving tens of thousands without power. Sales of air conditioners have surged across the continent, which is not adequately equipped to cope with the sweltering heat.
According to AFP, Europe is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave due to climate change and urban heat accumulation. This situation has led to a surge in demand for cooling equipment in a continent that is unaccustomed to and lacks the necessary resources to cope with high temperatures.
In France, the national temperature index reached a record high since 1947, at 29.8°C. Sales of fans and air conditioners at major retailers like Carrefour and Amazon soared, while technicians were overwhelmed by urgent installation requests.
According to AFP's calculations, four other French provinces and cities were placed under the highest heat alert on June 24. This affected approximately 44 million people.
Currently, over 90% of the French population is directly affected as temperatures are expected to range from 39°C to 41°C. Extreme weather not only disrupts the lives of residents, forcing community centers to provide support for the elderly, but also poses significant difficulties for international tourists.
The heatwave has triggered the first widespread power outage in France's most recent extreme weather event. A transformer malfunctioned, leaving approximately 68,000 households in the northwestern Finistere province without electricity on June 24th, according to authorities.
In Italy, the Ministry of Health issued a red alert for the heatwave in 16 cities, including Milan and Rome.
The heatwave is forecast to spread to Eastern Europe in the coming days. The Polish meteorological agency has issued a severe heat warning for the western part of the country from June 25-27, predicting temperatures could break the record of 40.2 degrees Celsius set in 1921.
Croatia's famous Adriatic coast was also placed on red alert on June 26-27.
Hungary, which has issued a level two heat warning, said it will raise the warning to the highest level from June 27-30 due to continuing high temperatures.
According to a scientific study published this week, the current heatwave "is significantly exacerbated by human-induced climate change." Without climate change, current temperatures would be 2 to 4 degrees Celsius lower.
Scientists point out that recurring heatwaves are a clear sign of global warming, and warn that they will become more frequent, longer-lasting, and more intense.
