A Dangerous Heat Wave Bearing Down on Europe Once Again

Baby elephant Ben Long cools off on July 24, 2019 in his pool at the zoo in Leipzig, eastern Germany, where temperatures reached 35 degrees Celsius.

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The second heat wave of the summer is bearing down on Europe and is threatening to break records once again.

On Tuesday, the French city of Bordeaux registered a temperature exceeding 106.1 Fahrenheit (41.2 Celsius), making it officially the hottest day on record, smashing the old record set in 2003.

The French weather service Mateo also predicts that the French capital of Paris could reach 107.6 Fahrenheit (42 C) this week, marking its highest temperature ever there as well.

France likely won’t be the last country to see record-setting temperatures this week as experts also believe the extreme heat is heading to Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, according to the BBC.

"As we saw in June [heat waves] are becoming more frequent, they're starting earlier and they're becoming more intense," Claire Nullis, a World Meteorological Organization spokesperson told the BBC. "It's not a problem that's going to go away."

London, Business Insider reported, is expected to reach 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 C) on Thursday, while temperatures throughout England could top the all-time record of 101.3 Fahrenheit (38.5 C).

"If these predictions are met, this heat wave would go down in the history books,” Andreas Friedrich, a spokesperson for the German Meteorological Service DWD, told RP Online. "As a meteorologist, I have never seen anything like this before."

The extreme heat is already being blamed for the deaths of at least two people. According to Global News, a 93-year-old man in Spain collapsed and died due to the heat. A 17-year-old also died of heat-related causes after jumping into a swimming pool in an attempt to cool off.

Travelers should ensure they stay out of the heat during the peak hours of the day and carry plenty of water with them as they explore. Though really, the heat waves may be becoming too frequent to avoid. This latest heat wave marks the second such weather event in as many months. In June, Travel + Leisure reported, temperatures across France, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Italy topped 100 degree Fahrenheit, with humidity levels making it feel much, much warmer.

“I’m worried about people who are downplaying this, who are continuing to exercise as usual or stay out in the sun,” France’s health minister, Agnès Buzyn, said in a statement at the time. “This affects all of us.”

Heat Wave Expected to Hit Most of the U.S. — Major Cities Brace for Power Outages

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Summer is here. And longer days and weekends spent poolside means warmer weather — or as is the case this week, dangerously high temperatures. Over the next several days, a heat wave is expected to hit the central and eastern United States, and several of the country’s major cities will be impacted.

New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. are all expected to see their hottest days of summer so far. And as temperatures rise, people turn to their air conditioners for relief, which can lead to power outages. Allan Drury, the spokesperson for the energy company Con Edison, told USA Today on Tuesday that in New York, they’re prepared for “scattered outages” in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

All told, USA Today reports that over 50 million Americans will see some level of heat alert where they live, with temperatures expected to approach 100 degrees over the next several days.

Meteorologists also warn that the temperatures will feel much worse thanks to the heat index. The heat index is what the temperature feels like when air temperature and humidity are combined — and according to BAM Weather Meteorologist Ryan Maue, it will feel like its 108 degrees in Washington D.C. and 109 degrees in Chicago and Detroit. Maue tweeted on Tuesday that “Friday will be suffocating across much of the Eastern U.S. with heat index 100°-110°F from the Plains to Great Lakes and Middle-Atlantic to NYC.”

Friday will be suffocating across much of the Eastern U.S. with heat index 100°-110°F 🌡️from the Plains to Great Lakes and Middle-Atlantic to NYC. 🔥

108° Washington D.C.
109° Chicago
109° Detroit pic.twitter.com/fe5DOLGNhL

— Ryan (@RyanMaue) July 16, 2019

In response to the upcoming heat wave, the National Weather Service has issued excessive heat watches and heat advisories for two-thirds of the country, reminding people that “It is never safe to leave a toddler, disabled person or pet locked in a car, even in the winter. If you have a toddler in your household, lock your cars, even in your own driveway. Kids plays in cars and can get locked in. Already 9 toddlers have died in hot cars in 2019! Cars can heat up quickly when left in the sun.”