The extremely hot weather caused the death of two people in Spain and two in France. The high temperatures forced the closure of schools in European countries, according to IPN citing Deutsche Welle.
The extreme heat and drought have caused a vegetation fire to break out in the northeastern region of Spain, Catalonia. As a result of the fire, two people have died, according to Spanish authorities.
In Germany, the railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, has announced nationwide disruptions due to the heat. Across the country, railway lines that needed maintenance could not be repaired due to unsafe conditions for workers.
In the city of Elsfleth, 48 passengers were rescued from a train that had become stranded on a railway bridge. The train was forced to make an unplanned stop due to a technical malfunction, which also caused the air conditioning to operate at limited capacity.
At the same time, the operator announced line closures in the most populated state of the country, North Rhine-Westphalia. Moreover, several bus lines, operated by DB, were unavailable due to the lack of air conditioning and other risks to equipment caused by extreme heat.
And in France, tourists will not be able to visit the observation platform at the top of the Eiffel Tower, at the earliest until Thursday, city officials have stated, noting that the decision was made for the “comfort and safety of all”.
Officials from the Ile-de-France region, which includes the capital Paris and its surroundings, have stated that they received at least 900 calls on the emergency hotline for the heatwave. According to them, around 300 people have been treated in local hospitals.
In several Italian cities, the power grids could not withstand the high temperatures. They could not handle the increased demand for air conditioning, which led to power outages in Rome, Florence, Milan, and Bergamo.
Air conditioning in homes is not a standard in Italy, not even in the summer, but due to intense heatwaves, more and more people are buying air conditioners for their houses and apartments. In the city of Florence, several people have been stuck in elevators, and traffic lights have ceased to function.
The National Meteorological Service of Germany has announced that in some parts of the country, the average temperature is expected to drop to 27 degrees by Thursday, July 3rd. Meanwhile, in Spain and Italy, which have recorded the most extreme temperatures of up to 46 degrees, the weather is expected to cool down by the weekend.