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Heat wave smashes European records
(EurActiv, 25 Jul 2019) Belgian zookeepers fed tigers with chickens encased in giant ice cubes on Wednesday (24 July) as northern Europe baked in record temperatures during another heat wave that climate experts believe could become the new normal.
For the second time in a month, a high pressure system drew scorching air from the Sahara Desert, breaking records for Belgium and the Netherlands and threatening the same in Britain, Germany and France in a streak that is due to last until Friday.
In Spain, a wildfire in the northern province of Zaragoza was almost under control, but there was a risk of further outbreaks, especially in eastern parts, where the temperature was set to rise as high as 41 degrees Celsius.
Italian authorities issued fire alerts for the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, where temperatures were expected to climb above 40 degrees C. They also put 13 cities on their highest “red” weather alert – warning of a possible health threat for everyone, not just the frail and infirm.
In Portugal, the largest wildfire so far this year, which raged over the weekend, was put out by more than 1,000 firefighters on Tuesday, but the country remained on high alert.
Further north, the temperature in Belgium struck 39.9 degrees C, smashing the country’s previous high of 36.6 degrees C in June 1947 in records dating back to 1833, according to David Dehenauw, the head of forecasting at the Royal Meteorological Institute.
EurActiv, 25 Jul 2019: Heat wave smashes European records
