Record heatwave sweeps across Europe, two dead in France

Paris [France], July 3: France has just experienced its second hottest June on record, while many other parts of Europe have also been affected by the summer heat this year.
On July 2, French Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Seas and Fisheries Agnes Pannier-Runacher said that two deaths had been recorded due to heatstroke-related illnesses and recent heat waves .
AFP quoted the female minister as saying that more than 300 people had been treated by firefighters for heat-related injuries, while two people had died.
According to Minister Pannier-Runacher, June 2025 will be the second hottest June in history in France, since data has been recorded since 1900. The hottest June was in 2003.
The highest temperature in the capital Paris on July 1 was recorded at 40 degrees Celsius. During the day, about 2,200 schools were closed across France due to the heat . Temperature records were also recorded on July 1 in Portugal and the Netherlands.
The unusual heatwave currently sweeping Europe is believed to be caused by a heat dome phenomenon, which occurs when a high-pressure area extends over a large area, trapping hot air.
Spanish officials said a forest fire in the Catalonia region on July 1 killed two people, burned several fields and affected an area stretching about 40 km, according to Reuters.
Spain's AEMET meteorological agency announced earlier this week that June was the hottest June ever recorded in the country.
In Switzerland, the Axpo power company shut down one of the reactors at the Beznau nuclear power plant on July 1 due to rising river water temperatures caused by the heat wave. The other reactor is still operating but at a reduced capacity.
The plant uses water from the Aare River to cool it, then treats it and releases it back into the river. During hot weather, the company often limits operations so as not to warm the river, which could pose a risk to aquatic life.
Swissinfo.ch quoted Axpo 's announcement that the water temperature of the Aare River downstream of the Beznau plant reached 25 degrees Celsius on June 30.
In the Czech Republic's capital Prague, the highest temperature on July 1 was over 34 degrees Celsius. The city's zoo brought 10 tons of ice to cool down the pair of polar bears kept there, according to Euronews.
In the German city of Frankfurt, the highest temperature is forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius on July 2 but will drop to 27 degrees Celsius on July 3. Countries like Spain and Italy will have to wait until the weekend for the temperature to cool down, according to AFP.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper