By: Claire Cao
Due to climate change, temperatures are skyrocketing across Western Europe causing civilian lives to be at risk. Cities that were not built to withstand such intense heat are scrambling to create innovative ways to keep their citizens cool.
Propelled by hot air from Africa, multiple weather stations in France reported record-breaking temperatures. Last Friday, a weather station in Andújar, Spain reported the highest temperature recorded so far during a heat wave of 111.5 degrees Fahrenheit. According to climate scientist Hannah Cloke, Western Europe was “really not prepared” for extreme heat, with offices, houses and nursing homes “not built to help keep people cool.”
Citizens are struggling while coping with the intense heat. Only 5% of residences in France and Germany have access to air conditioning services. Trying to lower electricity demand and reliance on Russian natural gas, some European countries are discouraging people from setting their air conditioning too high. Due to the lack of cooling in people’s own homes, they are leaving in search of relief from the blazing sun.
Last Friday, overheated people in Britain flocked to outdoor swimming pools, ponds, and fountains to cool off. To accommodate them, many public areas including museums are developing dual purposes that provide shelter from the intense heat. People have been staying outside for hours, unable to return to the stifling heat in their own homes. Parisian authorities have designated specific “island of coolness” in over 900 locations with shaded routes that connect these cooling spots. Other French cities are relying on misting machines that spray water to provide coolness. However, according to climate scientists more needs to be done as temperature spikes become more frequent in Europe.
The Fontaine des Innocents, a designated cooling location in Paris where people take refuge in the shade and cool off in the fountain.
In addition to affecting European citizens, heat waves are impacting Europe’s environment as well. In Southern Spain, baby birds are being cooked inside their nests due to the intense temperatures. Since birds often built nests in the crevices of concrete and metal buildings, the nests heat up as well. Unable to stand the heat the chicks rush out of their nests too early before they are ready to fly. Additionally, thousands of people have already been evacuated as forest fires age across Spain. Spanish authorities nearly put the entire country under extreme risk of forest fires due to the heat wave. In the Po River in Italy, water levels are so low that shipwrecks are rising to the surface due to the lack of rainfall and extreme heat. As the water continues to evaporate, Italy becomes increasingly concerned over water shortages especially during a heat wave.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/17/heat-wave-europe-uk-spain-france/