Barcelona records the hottest June ever as a heat wave grips Europe – ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Europe swelters under a punishing heat wave with Paris forecast to hit 104 F
Barcelona records its hottest month of June since records started over a century ago. The Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature of 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit) The previous hottest average for June was 25.6 C in 2003. Punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40 C (104 F) in Paris and to stay unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands. In France, the national weather agency Météo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert, with the Paris region particularly hard hit, with more than 1,300 schools in the country were partially or fully closed.. In Italy, 17 of Italy’s 27 major cities were experiencing a heat wave, according to the health ministry, and parts of Bardonecchia near Turin were covered in sludge after the Frejus river burst its banks. In Turkey, dozens of wildfires have damaged dozens of homes and forced the evacuation of some 50,000 residents, officials said. The fires were nearing containment in large parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital Prague.
The Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature of 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit), breaking records since 1914. The previous hottest average for June was 25.6 C in 2003. The same weather station said that a single-day high of 37.9 C (100 F) for June was recorded Monday.
Health warnings remained in effect Tuesday in several European countries. Punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40 C (104 F) in Paris and to stay unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Barcelona is usually spared the worst heat in Spain, thanks to its location between hills and the Mediterranean in Spain’s northeastern corner. But most of the country has been gripped by the extreme heat.
“We are seeing these temperatures because we are experiencing a very intense heat wave that has come early in the summer and that is clearly linked to global warming,” Ramón Pascual, the regional delegate for Spain’s weather service in Barcelona, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Spain’s national average for June of 23.6 C (74 F) was 0.8 C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017. It was also that first time that June was hotter than the average temperatures for both July and August.
Spain also saw a new high mark for June established on Saturday when 46 C (114F) was recorded in the southern province of Huelva.
The streets were scorching as well in Spain’s capital, with Madrid forecast to reach 39 C (102 F), as people tried to keep cool by drinking refrigerated drinks and sticking to the shade. But the hot nights offered little relief.
“Today is very bad, but yesterday wasn’t any better. So we’re just surviving,” said Miguel Sopera, 63. “At night it’s impossible due to the terrible heat.”
In France, the national weather agency Météo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert, with the Paris region particularly hard hit. More than 1,300 schools in the country were partially or fully closed.
Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were told to postpone their visits as the summit of the city’s landmark was closed until Thursday.
Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date. By 2100, France could be up to 4 C (39 F) warmer, with temperatures exceeding 40 C expected every year and extreme heat spikes potentially reaching 50 C (122 F).
Farther south, 17 of Italy’s 27 major cities were experiencing a heat wave, according to the health ministry.
There were torrential rains in Italy’s north on Monday and parts of Bardonecchia near Turin were covered in sludge after the Frejus river burst its banks.
Near Bologna, one of the cities under a heat alert Tuesday, the 46-year-old owner of a construction company collapsed and died while repaving a school parking lot, state-run RAI reported. An autopsy was being conducted to determine the cause, but heat was suspected.
An annual event in Amsterdam to commemorate the end of slavery in former Dutch colonies was moved forward to avoid the hottest part of the day. People attending the event, including the city’s mayor, sat under white parasols and tried to keep cool with paper fans.
In the central town of Soest, first responders said they were bringing a firehose to an early evening water gun fight.
“Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you’re guaranteed to get soaked!” the firefighters said in an Instagram post.
The Portuguese weather service issued a statement Monday night confirming the highest single temperature ever recorded in mainland Portugal for the month of June at 46.6 C (115 F) on June 29 in the town of Mora, west of Lisbon. The prior record was 44.9 C (112 F) in 2017.
Firefighters across Turkey tried to contain wildfires for a third consecutive day on Tuesday. The fires have damaged dozens of homes and forced the evacuation of some 50,000 residents.
The crews were nearing containment of two major fires in the Aegean province of İzmir and another in neighboring Manisa, Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said. They were, however, struggling with a large, wind-driven fire still sweeping through the southern province of Hatay.
Temperatures were expected to reach 37 C (98.6 F) by Wednesday in large parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital.
The Prague zoo took extraordinary measures to provide some relief to their animals as zookeepers started to distribute up to 10 metric tons of ice daily across the park.
Polar bears native to the Arctic are a major concern for the zoo, director Miroslav Bobek said. Twin brothers Aleut and Gregor looked pleased when they found parts of their open-air enclosure covered with a thick layer of ice Tuesday morning. They used the familiar substance to lie on it and roll on their backs. As a bonus, they discovered frozen pieces of squid among the pieces of ice.
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Wilson reported from Barcelona. Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, Iain Sullivan in Madrid, Mike Corder in The Netherlands, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Karel Janicek in Prague and David Biller in Rome contributed to this report.
Barcelona records hottest June and Eiffel Tower’s summit closes as Europe sizzles
Barcelona’s Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature for last month of 26 C (78 F) Spain’s national average for June of 23.6 C (74 F) was 0.8 C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017. By 2100, France could be up to 4 C (39 F) warmer, with temperatures exceeding 40 C expected every year and extreme heat spikes potentially reaching 50 C (122 F) Man dies in Italy after torrential rains in Bardonecchia and parts of Frejusia near Turin covered in sludge after the river burst its banks. The Netherlands is sweating because you’re guaranteed to get soaked because of your water pistol and swimming clothes, the town of Soest says. The summit of Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors and hundreds of French schools shut on Tuesday as Europe sizzled in its first major heat wave of the summer. The worst was felt in southern Europe while punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Paris.
Health warnings remained in effect in several European countries. The worst was felt in southern Europe while punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Paris and to stay unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The abnormally hot weather “is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress” with temperatures in June more typical of July and August, said Samantha Burgess of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. This June is likely to among the five hottest on record, it said.
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Barcelona’s Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature for last month of 26 C (78 F), breaking records since books were started in 1914. The previous hottest average for June was 25.6 C in 2003. The same weather station said that a single-day high of 37.9 C (100 F) for June was recorded Monday.
Hot Mediterranean soup
Barcelona is usually spared the worst heat in Spain, thanks to its location between hills and the Mediterranean in Spain’s northeastern corner. But most of the country has been gripped by the extreme heat.
“We are seeing these temperatures because we are experiencing a very intense heat wave that has come early in the summer and that is clearly linked to global warming,” Ramón Pascual, a delegate for Spain’s weather service in Barcelona, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
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Pascual added that the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region are not being helped by the rising sea temperatures, which greatly reduces any cooling effects of a nearby body of water. Spain’s weather service said that recent surface temperatures for the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands are between 5-6 degrees Celsius higher than average.
“With water surface temperatures from 26-30 Celsius (78-86 F), it is difficult for our nights to be refreshing,” he said.
Spain’s national average for June of 23.6 C (74 F) was 0.8 C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017. It was also that first time that June was hotter than the average temperatures for both July and August.
Spain also saw a new high mark for June established on Saturday when 46 C (114F) was recorded in the southern province of Huelva.
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The streets were scorching as well in Spain’s capital, with Madrid forecast to reach 39 C (102 F), as people tried to keep cool by drinking refrigerated drinks and sticking to the shade. But the hot nights offered little relief.
“Today is very bad, but yesterday wasn’t any better. So we’re just surviving,” said Miguel Sopera, 63. “At night it’s impossible due to the terrible heat.”
France suffocates
In France, the national weather agency Météo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert, with the Paris region particularly hard hit. More than 1,300 schools in the country were partially or fully closed.
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Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were told to postpone their visits as the summit of the city’s landmark was closed until Thursday. The operators said the closure was “to ensure everyone’s comfort and safety.”
Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date. By 2100, France could be up to 4 C (39 F) warmer, with temperatures exceeding 40 C expected every year and extreme heat spikes potentially reaching 50 C (122 F).
Man dies in Italy
Farther south, 17 of Italy’s 27 major cities were experiencing a heat wave, according to the health ministry.
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There were torrential rains in Italy’s north on Monday and parts of Bardonecchia near Turin were covered in sludge after the Frejus river burst its banks.
Near Bologna, one of the cities under a heat alert Tuesday, the 46-year-old owner of a construction company collapsed and died while repaving a school parking lot, state-run RAI reported. An autopsy was being conducted to determine the cause, but heat was suspected.
The Netherlands is sweating
In the Dutch town of Soest, first responders said they were bringing a firehose to an early evening water gun fight.
“Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you’re guaranteed to get soaked!” the firefighters said in an Instagram post.
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Portugal’s record
The Portuguese weather service issued a statement Monday night confirming the highest single temperature ever recorded in mainland Portugal for the month of June at 46.6 C (115 F) on June 29 in the town of Mora, west of Lisbon. The prior record was 44.9 C (112 F) in 2017.
Wildfires in Turkey
Firefighters across Turkey tried to contain wildfires that have forced the evacuation of some 50,000 residents for third consecutive day.
Relieving animals in Prague
Temperatures were expected to reach 37 C (98.6 F) by Wednesday in large parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital.
The Prague zoo distributed up to 10 metric tons of ice daily across the park, with especial attention given to polar bears native to the Arctic.
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Zoo director Miroslav Bobek said twin brother bears Aleut and Gregor looked pleased when they found parts of their open-air enclosure covered with a thick layer of ice Tuesday morning. They rolled on their backs and discovered frozen pieces of squid.
___
Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, Iain Sullivan in Madrid, Mike Corder in The Netherlands, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Karel Janicek in Prague and David Biller in Rome contributed to this report.