According to Vincent McAviney’s report, an early heat wave has caused Europe to seek refuge in the shade, and experts have warned that such occurrences will increase as global warming continues.
People flocked to parks and pools across Europe to escape the early heat wave that caused temperatures to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in France and Spain.
A blanket of hot air stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea is bringing the first summer heat wave to much of Western Europe.
The weather, according to meteorologists, is a sign of what’s to come as global warming continues, bringing to Europe temperatures that were previously experienced only in July and August.
Friday morning, approximately 18 million people in France awoke to heatwave alerts affecting roughly one-third of the country.
Forest fire alerts were issued from the southern Pyrenees to the Paris area.
On Saturday, Parisians and tourists sought shade, and some even jumped into the Trocadero fountain to cool off.
Marc Noden, a tourist from Manchester, stated, “We’re only here for a few days, so we’ve already accomplished everything we wanted to do with the help of a lot of ice cream and water.”
In Spain, wildfires have consumed thousands of acres of forested hill land, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,700 people from more than a dozen villages.
As the fire in the Sierra de Culebra continued to spread, the high-speed AVE line between Madrid and Galicia was forced to suspend operations.
The Sierra de Culebra mountain range in the province of Zamora reportedly caught fire during a dry electrical storm.
In the United Kingdom, the Met Office advises people to remain indoors as a “huge cluster” of thunderstorms strikes the south of England.
As temperatures dropped from Friday’s high of 32C, the forecaster issued a lightning warning that had previously been issued only “a handful” of times.
Becky Mitchell, a meteorologist, stated that a northern cold front was responsible for the sudden temperature change.
“It felt like summer was just beginning, but it’s now cooler,” she said.
“Many places in the United Kingdom have experienced a temperature drop of 10 to 15 degrees, which is significant.
“We have a large cluster of thunderstorms in the south west of England, and there’s a chance we’ll see some in the south east tonight.”
The Met Office has only previously issued three lightning warnings, the most recent being in 2019.
“If you can, move indoors if you are participating in any outdoor activities,” Ms. Mitchell advised.
“Remain away from any power lines or similar objects that could potentially be struck by lightning.
“Stay close to the ground and away from anything that could conduct lightning if you find yourself in an exposed location.”
Although the weather observed on Friday is unlikely to continue, it is expected to improve in time for the Glastonbury Festival the following week.
Temperatures could reach 26 degrees Celsius on Thursday, before dropping as the event winds down over the weekend.
