This article has been updated.
An intense heat wave is set to bake Europe in coming days, and it could be historic, potentially shattering records across a large portion of the continent.
The heat wave is expected to peak between Wednesday and Friday, when a swath from Spain to Poland is expected to see temperatures at least 20 to 30 degrees (11 to 17 degrees Celsius) above normal. Actual temperatures should surge to at least 95 to 105 degrees (35 to 40 degrees Celsius) over a sprawling area. Some locations could be even hotter, especially within cities where a “heat island” effect from asphalt and concrete increases temperatures.
Mika Rantanen, a meteorologist in Finland, describedcomputer model forecasts for the intensity of the heat “totally unheard of for June” in France.
Early summer heat waves can be especially lethal, as people have not yet had time to acclimatize to the higher temperatures. Older adults, the homeless and those without air conditioning are most susceptible to heat-related illnesses.
This ad will end in 10 seconds
Scorching temperatures are forecasted to sweep across Europe in late June. Here are some of the long-term and short-term effects to expect.
“Heat waves are silent killers,” tweeted Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate scientist at Potsdam University. “The 2003 European heat wave has caused about 70,000 fatalities. Last year’s hot summer in Germany has been estimated to have caused at least 1,000 excess deaths.”
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.