PARIS, July 22: Europe sizzled and soaked alternately on Saturday as a deadly heat wave broke down into storms over parts of the continent amid warnings that temperatures would peak again.
The sweltering weather hit particularly hard in France, where the government issued warnings on radio and television after the number of reported deaths attributable to the heat reached 22.
The death toll raised memories of a fatal bout of baking temperatures that killed 15,000 people in France and more than twice as many across Europe in 2003.
“The heat wave is going to last,” said France’s Health Minister Xavier Bertrand, stressing that the priority was to watch out for people living in isolated circumstances who are particularly vulnerable to the heat.
Though temperatures dropped in parts of northern France, weather authorities said the respite would be short, warning of a further peak on Wednesday.
Those who died in France this week included 10 people aged 80 to 94, as well as labourers at work and a 15-month-old baby.
National radio broadcast messages to the elderly on Saturday, explaining the effects of the heat and how to combat them and giving a telephone advice-line number.
French forecasters have placed the eastern half of the country on “orange” alert — the second highest level. Temperatures were expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius in the Rhone valley, though cooler weather was forecast for Sunday.
Violent storms struck the Dordogne region of south-central France overnight, killing a motorcyclist who ran into a fallen tree. Scores of firemen were mobilised and lightning caused half a dozen forest fires.
Air quality authorities in north-eastern France said levels of pollutant ozone chemicals in the air had exceeded recommended levels for four days running in the heat wave, though the levels returned to normal later Saturday.
More than 30 people are believed to have died since the start of the week in western Europe.
Spain is used to such temperatures, but six provinces of the country were nevertheless on alert this weekend after three heat-related deaths, as the thermometer was expected to nudge 40 degrees Celsius.—AFP
