Eiffel Tower’s summit closes to visitors as Europe swelters in heatwave
In Florence, Italy, parts of the city centre experienced a blackout following a surge in electricity demand.
Europe sizzled in its first major heatwave of the summer on Tuesday, as Barcelona recorded its hottest June in more than a century and the summit of Paris’ famous Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors.
Health warnings remained in effect in several countries.
The abnormally hot weather “is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress” with temperatures more typical of July and August, said Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
Barcelona’s Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature for last month of 26C, breaking records since the data began in 1914.
It said a single-day high of 37.9C for June was recorded on Monday. Barcelona is usually spared the worst heat in Spain, thanks to its location between hills and the Mediterranean.
Ramon Pascual, a delegate for Spain’s weather service in Barcelona, told the Associated Press the “very intense heatwave” is clearly linked to global warming.
Mr Pascual said inhabitants of the Mediterranean region are not being helped by the rising sea temperatures, which greatly reduce any cooling effects of a nearby body of water.
Spain’s weather service said recent surface temperatures for the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands are 5-6C higher than average.
Spain’s national average for June of 23.6Celsius was 0.8C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017.
Madrid was forecast to reach 39C.
Temperatures were forecast to reach 40C in the French capital Paris. National weather agency Meteo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert. More than 1,300 schools were partially or fully closed.
Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were told to postpone their visits as the summit was closed until Thursday for “everyone’s comfort and safety”.
Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date, with temperatures exceeding 40C expected every year by 2100.
Italy’s health ministry said 17 of the country’s 27 major cities were experiencing a heatwave.
In Florence, where temperatures reached 38C on Tuesday, parts of the city centre experienced a blackout following a surge in electricity demand. Back-up systems restored power, energy company Enel said.
Near Bologna, the 46-year-old owner of a construction company collapsed and died while repaving a school car park, state-run RAI reported. An autopsy was being conducted but heat was suspected.
In the Dutch town of Soest, first responders said they were bringing a fire hose to an evening water gun fight.
“Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you’re guaranteed to get soaked!” the firefighters said on social media.
In Portugal, the weather service in a statement on Monday night confirmed the highest single temperature ever recorded in mainland Portugal for the month of June at 46.6C on June 29 in the town of Mora, west of Lisbon.
Firefighters across Turkey tried to contain wildfires that have forced the evacuation of some 50,000 residents for the third consecutive day.
