Comment A ferocious heat wave that has brought record temperatures to Britain and parts of France is forecast to move east across central Europe on Wednesday, and scientists have warned of “very high levels” of ozone pollution across large parts of the continent as temperatures they soar. The death toll from a heat dome that originated from a large area of high pressure in Western Europe is rising, with Portugal alone reporting more than 1,000 deaths from the latest heat wave. The Portuguese Sea and Atmospheric Institute has issued an “orange” heat warning for Wednesday, the maximum level. Germany’s weather service predicted the focus of heat would shift eastward after the country recorded its hottest day of the year so far on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 103.1 degrees (39.5 Celsius) in the west of the country. . Cities in Belgium and the Netherlands also recorded temperatures above 100 degrees on Tuesday, well below records set in a heat wave in July 2019. according to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera. Meanwhile, firefighters in France, Spain, Greece and Britain battled wildfires exacerbated by rising temperatures. The authorities ordered the evacuation of a hospital in the Athens area. These maps show how excessively hot it is in Europe and the US The London Fire Brigade declared a major incident on Tuesday as firefighters battled several large fires across the city, from Wembley in the north to Croydon in the south. Dozens of residents were forced to flee as houses, vehicles and fields were engulfed in flames. Clouds of smoke billowed over parts of the River Thames. Drought conditions and extreme heat have sharply increased the chances of wildfires spreading, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitoring agency. Much of Western Europe is at “extreme fire risk”, it said on Tuesday. Along with increased carbon emissions from the fires, Copernicus scientists warn that “very high levels” of ozone pollution caused by the heat wave could affect northern and western Europe in the coming days. At low altitudes, ozone is one of the main components of urban smog, according to Mark Parrington, senior scientist at Copernicus. “The potential effects of very high ozone pollution on human health can be significant in terms of both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,” he said in a statement. How to stay safe in extreme heat As some experts pointed to the role of human-induced climate change in record temperatures, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a “moment for nature” on Tuesday. “Our ways of life – based on production, consumption, disposal and pollution – have brought us to this plight,” Guterres said in a video. “But since human activities are at the root of this planetary emergency, that means we also hold the key to the solutions. Now is the time to transform our relationship with nature and chart a new path,” he added.
