Tag: heat wave

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Italy hit by third major heatwave this summer

Italy’s main agriculture union Coldiretti said Monday that this year is already the third-hottest in Italy since record-keeping began in 1800, while last year was the hottest…reports Asian Lite News

Italy is in the grip of its third major heatwave of this summer, as the hottest two-year period on record continues in the country.

The Ministry of Health said Monday that by mid-week, 17 of Italy’s 27 largest cities will be on “red alert” for heat. A new record of 20 out of 27 cities was set in July.

The cities currently set to be put on red alert by Wednesday include Bologna, Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome and Turin. A dozen cities were already on red alert as of Monday.

Temperatures in cities across central and southern parts of the country are expected to surpass 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days. It is the third time since June that temperatures are set to exceed this level on a wide scale.

A “red alert” means that even young people in good health are at risk during the hottest part of the day.

Italy’s main agriculture union Coldiretti said Monday that this year is already the third-hottest in Italy since record-keeping began in 1800, while last year was the hottest.

Although the heatwaves in 2022 were longer, this year’s heatwaves have been more intense, setting record temperatures in dozens of cities. Last month was the hottest July ever recorded in Italy.

This year has also seen more intense weather-related events: in its report released last week, Coldiretti said that so far this year, Italy has experienced an average of nearly 11 extreme weather events per day. This has caused at least 6 billion euros (6.5 billion U.S. dollars) worth of damage in the agricultural sector alone.

In addition to high temperatures, extreme weather events have included hailstorms, tornados, flash floods, and wind storms.

Elsewhere, the Italian weather website Il Meteo reported that a new “zero point” – the altitude at which the temperature falls to zero degree Celsius – has been recorded at 5,328 meters. The new record was set above the Novara Cameri radio-sounding station between Sunday night and Monday morning.

Previously, the record zero point was at 5,298 meters, in Switzerland. The new higher “zero point” means that the glaciers will melt further, Il Meteo said.

Nevertheless, the latest heatwave is expected to be shorter than the previous two in July. Cool weather from northern Europe is expected to move in and bring down temperatures in most areas by as much as 10 degrees Celsius by the weekend.

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Heat, Flames, Floods: Summer 2023’s Triple Threat

Heat, wildfires, floods make summer of 2023 ‘a summer of extremes’

The summer of 2023 is “a summer of extremes” due to the scorching heat, wildfires and floods that have resulted in major damage to people’s health and the environment, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said.

Clare Nullis, spokesperson for the WMO, said at a press briefing here on Friday that dangerous weather, including intense heat and devastating rainfall, has impacted large parts of the world in this “summer of extremes”, reports Xinhua news agency

She said many new station temperature records around the world were broken in July, and the start of August also saw a winter heat wave in parts of South America.

In a series of updates on extreme weather, WMO said earlier this week that many countries like France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Algeria and Tunisia all reported new maximum daytime and overnight station temperature records.

Large parts of the US have also been gripped by extensive heat waves.

“We need to broaden focus beyond maximum temperatures because the minimum temperature is most important for health and critical infrastructure,” said WMO extreme heat senior advisor John Nairn.

WMO pointed out that heatwaves are among the deadliest natural hazards with thousands of people dying from heat-related causes each year, while the full impact of a heatwave is often not known until weeks or months afterwards.

According to WMO, sea surface temperatures of the Mediterranean are set to be exceptionally high in the coming days and weeks, exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in some parts, and more than 4 degrees Celsius above average in a large part of the western Mediterranean.

WMO believes that the impacts of marine heatwaves include migration of species and extinctions, arrival of invasive species with consequences for fisheries and aquaculture.

A wildfire is seen in Riverside County of Southern California, the United States.(Xinhua/IANS)

Speaking at Friday’s press briefing, the WMO spokesperson also said that Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record.

In Canada, record-breaking wildfires continue to burn big forest areas.

More than 650 wildfires were out of control as of July 24.

And earlier this week WMO said wildfires had forced evacuation of hundreds of residents and tourists on the Greek islands of Rhodes, Evia and Corfu since July 17.

The emissions of these wildfires have reached record levels.

Heavy rains and flooding also caused severe damage and loss of life in parts of the world.

India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel during the rescue operation of people stuck in the flood-affected Rishi Colony area after heavy monsoon rains caused rapid rise in the water level of Badi Nadi river, in Patiala. (ANI Photo)

“As the planet warms, the expectation is that we will see more and more intense, more frequent, more severe rainfall events, leading also to more severe flooding,” said Stefan Uhlenbrook, director of hydrology, water and cryosphere at WMO.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas noted that “the extreme weather — an increasingly frequent occurrence in our warming climate — is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies”.

“This underlines the increasing urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible,” said Taalas.

ALSO READ: Canada wildfire carbon emissions exceed 1 bn tonnes

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-Top News Europe

Greece braces for first summer heat wave

Greece is a country prepared for heatwaves, as in almost all homes, hospitals, restaurants and hotels air conditioners are installed, Giannopoulos said…reports Asian Lite News

Greece is bracing for the first major heat wave of the season, which is expected to push temperatures in parts of the country above 40 degrees Celsius.

“Temperatures on the mainland will peak on Friday and Saturday, reaching 43 degrees Celsius. This is not unprecedented, it happens every two or three years,” said Panagiotis Giannopoulos, meteorologist with the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY).

High temperatures are forecast to prevail for six days, posing potential health risks, in particular for the elderly and people with medical conditions, according to expert.

In the center of Athens, the temperature reached 39 degrees Celsius on Thursday and was forecast to climb to above 40 degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday, before dropping to 39 and 38 degrees Celsius on July 16 and 17, respectively, according to the EMY.

Greece is a country prepared for heatwaves, as in almost all homes, hospitals, restaurants and hotels air conditioners are installed, Giannopoulos said.

This is not expected to be the most intense heat wave of recent years, but precautionary measures are implemented, he added.

The state mechanism has been placed on alert. Public hospitals are on standby, and the Ministry of Labour announced on special provisions for employees in the public and private sectors during the heat wave, such as remote work and changes to operating hours.

“Climate change models show that in the Mediterranean region and in our country in the coming decades we expect more heatwaves,” Giannopoulos said.

Already in the past three decades, the Greek capital has experienced five times more heat waves compared to the period between 1961 and 1990, he said.

Greece, Cyprus and Israel, which have a joint weather monitoring system, named the heat wave “Cleon”.

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Heatwave triggers drought alert in France

All 96 departments across Metropolitan France have imposed water restriction measures to combat drought…reports Asian Lite News

Heatwave continues to hit most parts of France this week, triggering a drought alert in the wake of the driest July in more than 60 years, a French daily reported.

Wednesday will be the hottest day of the week with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in the Mediterranean area of the south, and the heatwave will also spread towards northern France, Le Figaro newspaper reported.

Five departments in southwestern France have issued an “extreme heat” warning and the whole country is on drought alert following heatwaves and lack of rain, it said.

In July, France received “a total of 9.7 millimeters of rainfall on average”, making it the driest July since 1959, as well as the fourth hottest month since 1900, the French daily quoted meteorologist Cyrielle Duchesne as saying.

Some cities, including Nice and Marseille, did not see a single drop of rain throughout July, the newspaper reported.

All 96 departments across Metropolitan France have imposed water restriction measures to combat drought.

The population is advised to limit water consumption by avoiding washing their cars at home, watering gardens or filling up private swimming pools.

According to the report, August will continue to be hot and dry, apart from occasional rainfalls and thunderstorms.

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-Top News Europe

German weather service expects extreme heat to continue

Following weeks of heat and drought, livestock farmers are now concerned about fodder supplies…reports Asian Lite News

The heat wave that is sweeping across Europe continues to wreak havoc in Germany, the country’s meteorological service (DWD) has said here.

The “focus of the heat is shifting further eastward,” DWD said on Twitter.

Tuesday was the hottest day in Germany so far in 2022, with a high temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius. The historical record was 41.2 degrees Celsius registered in 2019, Xinhua news agency reported.

Record temperatures show that “climate change is here and we humans need to adapt”, the German government said in a statement Tuesday.

Germany’s Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building recently earmarked an additional 176 million euros ($180.4 million) of funding for green spaces in urban areas. Since the program was launched in 2020, a total of 467 million euros has been allocated for climate adaptation in urban areas.

The hot and dry weather is wreaking havoc on agriculture. The German Farmers’ Association (DBV) warned on Tuesday that the scorching weather in June had hit wheat production, and both yield and quality declined. Cornfields were also affected.

Following weeks of heat and drought, livestock farmers are now concerned about fodder supplies.

“The heat records predicted for this week lead us to expect further aggravation,” DBV said.

“At present, drought and extreme heat are putting a strain on the water balance everywhere in central Europe,” Oliver Luksic, Parliamentary State Secretary with the Ministry for Digital and Transport, told the news agency on Wednesday.

Luksic said the water level is “untypically low” in many rivers and has impeded navigation as shipping channels become shallower in some stretches. The German waterway network in general, however, is still navigable, he said.

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UK News

The heat is on in UK

The highest temperature was recorded as the country sweltered in heat that also scorched mainland Europe for the past week. Travel, health care and schools were disrupted in a country not prepared for such extremes…reports Asian Lite News

Britain on Tuesday shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered, with a provisional reading of 39.1 degrees Celsius (102.4 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the country’s weather office. The heat was only expected to rise.

The United Kingdom had previously recorded the highest temperature at 38.7 C (101.7 F) in 2019. The new record was set in Charlwood, England.

“Temperatures are likely to rise further through today,’’ the country’s forecaster said.

The highest temperature was recorded as the country sweltered in heat that also scorched mainland Europe for the past week. Travel, health care and schools were disrupted in a country not prepared for such extremes.

London in the South and Manchester and Leeds in the North remained under the “extreme” heat warning on Tuesday. The “extreme” warning means there is danger of death.

Britain’s Supreme Court moved its hearings online after a problem with the air conditioning. Many public buildings, including hospitals, don’t have air conditioning, showing how such extreme heat is in the country better known for rain and mild temperatures.

Unusually hot, dry weather has gripped large parts of the continent for the past one week, triggering wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans and leading to hundreds of heat-related deaths.

Images of flames racing toward a French beach and Britons sweltering — even at the seaside — have driven home concerns about climate change.

The weather office has also said that the overnight temperatures will remain above 25 C (77 F) in parts of the country for the first time.

As the heat rose in several parts of the country, many people coped with the heat wave by staying at their homes, as a result, the road traffic was down from its usual levels.

Trains ran at low speed. London’s Kings Cross Station was empty on Tuesday, with no trains on the busy east coast line connecting the capital to the north and Scotland.

London’s Luton Airport had to close its runway because of heat damage.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the country’s transport infrastructure, some of it dating from Victorian times, “just wasn’t built to withstand this type of temperature — and it will be many years before we can replace infrastructure with the kind of infrastructure that could.”

At least five people died from drowning while trying to cool off in lakes and rivers.

Amid the ongoing heatwave in the United Kingdom, flights on Monday had to be suspended at various sites as the hot weather caused runways to ‘melt’.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) suspended flights into and out of the Brize Norton base near Oxfordshire. Sky News reported that the situation was due to the extreme UK heat “melting the runways”. The RAF later informed that the flights were being rerouted through bases that are safe to operate in. The officials also stated that standard military business had not been impacted.

On Monday, Luton Airport in London also halted all flights due to melting tarmac. Taking Twitter, the international airport, which is used by airlines including EasyJet and Ryanair, apologised for the inconvenience caused.

In a statement, the officials said, “Following today’s high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway.” It added repair works are currently in progress in order to resume operations as soon as possible.

Air travel is not the only form of mass transit altering its operation in the nation. The Network Rail has imposed slower speed limits on trains amid soaring temperatures. This came after it was reported earlier this month that train tracks caught fire on a bridge in London after a spark ignited timber beams.

The United Kingdom is in the midst of a massive heatwave. A national emergency has been declared by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office has issued its first-ever red warnings for extreme heat, Sky News reported. Officials have urged people to avoid all non-essential travel and even warned of major disruption to journeys by train and car.

In Spain and neighbouring Portugal, at least 748 heat-related deaths have been reported due to the heat wave.

Wildfires have continued in Gironde region of southwestern France.

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-Top News UK News

UK govt issues extreme heat warning as temperatures soar

Temperatures were still several degrees cooler than the heatwave in parts of Spain and Portugal, where the mercury was set to soar past 40C…reports Asian Lite News

Britain has issued an extreme heat warning, with temperatures predicted to hit more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) across large parts of England and Wales.

Forecasters said the warm weather would remain for much of the week, particularly in southern and central England and Wales, with peaks of 33C possible in southeast England on Tuesday.

Temperatures were still several degrees cooler than the heatwave in parts of Spain and Portugal, where the mercury was set to soar past 40C.

But Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Rebekah Sherwin said the UK highs would continue into early next week.

“From Sunday and into Monday, temperatures are likely to be in excess of 35C in the southeast (of England), although the details still remain uncertain,” she said.

“Elsewhere, temperatures could be fairly widely above 32C in England and Wales, and in the mid-to-high 20s Celsius further north.”

Britain’s highest recorded temperature was 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden, in eastern England, on July 25, 2019.

Sherwin said meteorologists could not rule out that record being broken but it was “still only a low probability”.

“A number of weather scenarios are still possible and at the current time, mid- or perhaps high-30s are looking more likely,” she added.

The extreme heat warning was classified as “amber”, the second-highest of three, indicating a “high impact” on daily life and people.

Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said “strongly embedded warming due to climate change” across Europe was increasing the chances of a new UK record.

ALSO READ-Unusual mid-June heatwave cooks Europe

Categories
-Top News UK News

UK issues extreme heat warning as temperatures soar

Temperatures were still several degrees cooler than the heatwave in parts of Spain and Portugal, where the mercury was set to soar past 40C…reports Asian Lite News

Britain on Monday issued an extreme heat warning, with temperatures predicted to hit more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) across large parts of England and Wales.

Forecasters said the warm weather would remain for much of the week, particularly in southern and central England and Wales, with peaks of 33C possible in southeast England on Tuesday.

Temperatures were still several degrees cooler than the heatwave in parts of Spain and Portugal, where the mercury was set to soar past 40C.

But Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Rebekah Sherwin said the UK highs would continue into early next week.

“From Sunday and into Monday, temperatures are likely to be in excess of 35C in the southeast (of England), although the details still remain uncertain,” she said.

“Elsewhere, temperatures could be fairly widely above 32C in England and Wales, and in the mid-to-high 20s Celsius further north.”

Britain’s highest recorded temperature was 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden, in eastern England, on July 25, 2019.

Sherwin said meteorologists could not rule out that record being broken but it was “still only a low probability”.

“A number of weather scenarios are still possible and at the current time, mid- or perhaps high-30s are looking more likely,” she added.

The extreme heat warning was classified as “amber”, the second-highest of three, indicating a “high impact” on daily life and people.

Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said “strongly embedded warming due to climate change” across Europe was increasing the chances of a new UK record.

Meanwhile, Spain, France and other western European nations sweltered under a blistering July heatwave that has sparked forest fires and concerns that such early summer blasts of hot weather will now become the norm.

The weather was the peak of a July heatwave that is in line with scientists’ predictions that such phenomena will now strike earlier in the year thanks to global warming.

The French southwestern town of Biarritz, one of the country’s most sought-after seaside resorts, saw its highest all time temperature Saturday of 41 degrees, state forecaster Meteo France said.

Queues of hundreds of people and traffic jams formed outside aquatic leisure parks in France, with people seeing water as the only refuge from the devastating heat.

With the River Seine off limits to bathing, scorched Parisians took refuge in the city’s fountains.

Temperatures in France could reach as high as 42 degrees C in some areas on Saturday, Meteo France said, adding that June records had already been beaten in 11 areas on Friday.

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