Paris entered its third day of extreme temperatures on Thursday, with the French capital recording highs of 42 degrees Celsius. The heatwave, which has descended across Western Europe, has prompted health warnings and strained infrastructure from London to Madrid. The French meteorological service, Météo-France, placed 18 departments on red alert, the highest warning level, as the mercury continued to climb.
The city of Paris activated its 'Plan Canicule' emergency protocol, opening cooling centres and extending public swimming pool hours. In London, the UK Health Security Agency issued a Level 3 heat-health alert, advising the elderly and vulnerable to stay indoors. The extreme weather follows a pattern of increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves across the continent, a trend scientists attribute to climate change.
The European heatwave of 2019 caused an estimated 2,500 excess deaths in France alone, and authorities are urging caution. Transport networks have been disrupted, with train services in France and Belgium reduced to avoid track buckling. In the Netherlands, authorities sprayed major roads with water to prevent asphalt from melting.
The heatwave is expected to peak on Thursday before a slow cooling trend begins over the weekend. The economic cost of the heatwave, including lost productivity and increased energy demand, is yet to be calculated. However, the immediate focus remains on public health, as hospitals report a surge in heat-related admissions.
