Europe Heatwave Kills More Than 1,300 As Records Tumble Across Continent (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

PARIS/AMSTERDAM/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – More than 1,300 people died as an extreme heatwave gripped Europe, shattering temperature records across several countries on Sunday, officials said.

Most of the victims were reported in France, where the national health ministry said there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected since Wednesday.

Many of the additional fatalities were among people aged 65 and older, with authorities reporting a “40 percent rise in the number of people dying at home.”

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more than 1,300 excess deaths had been recorded across Europe since June 21 that were “linked to high temperatures.”

“Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer,’ and European homes, workplaces, and schools were not built for these temperatures,” Tedros wrote on social media.

RECORD TEMPERATURES HIT EUROPE

His comments came after temperatures in several countries, including Hungary, reached record levels over the weekend. In and around the Hungarian capital, Budapest, temperatures approached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Despite the heat, organizers of the Budapest Pride march defended their decision to proceed with the event despite health concerns. After the march was banned last year under then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, they said they did not want to postpone this year’s rally.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Germany experienced its hottest day on record for the third consecutive day, with 41.7 degrees Celsius (107.1 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded in the eastern part of the country, according to preliminary data.

A weather station in Coschen, near the Polish border in Brandenburg state, measured the temperature at around 4 p.m. local time.

The Czech Republic also set its second national temperature record in as many days, with 41.1 degrees Celsius (106.0 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded in Doksany, north of Prague, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) said. Poland likewise broke its all-time record as temperatures reached 40.5 degrees Celsius (104.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in the western border town of Słubice, according to the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW).

DEBATE OVER CLIMATE

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average,” Tedros warned.

Some skeptics, including several experts, argue that Europe may have experienced similarly hot or even warmer periods in past centuries. While systematic temperature measurements using standardized scientific instruments began in parts of Europe in the mid-17th century, comprehensive meteorological networks took much longer to develop, making comparisons with earlier periods difficult.

Besides the heat, France also reported at least 74 drowning deaths since June 18 as people sought relief from the extreme temperatures in rivers, lakes, quarries, and other swimming areas.

Deaths and injuries were also reported in violent thunderstorms accompanying the heatwave in several countries, including Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

An evangelistic tent campaign in the Netherlands was interrupted, while numerous Dutch, Belgian, and other European festivals were canceled or cut short because of dangerous weather conditions.

Numerous train services were delayed.

LIGHTNING STRIKE DESTROYS HOME

The storms also left a trail of personal tragedy.

The Netherlands’ largest newspaper, De Telegraaf (The Telegraph), reported how a single mother lost her home after it was struck by lightning overnight.

“It still feels unreal,” the newspaper wrote. “Michelle Brasz, 35, has not slept since disaster struck during the night. The home of the single mother from the town of Landsmeer was destroyed by a lightning strike. ‘We ran outside wearing only our underwear,’ she recalled.”

Footage showed the attached house completely destroyed, with firefighters from nearby Amsterdam reportedly taking about 30 minutes to reach the scene.

Brasz, the mother of a young daughter and foster mother to her 20-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother, had gone upstairs relatively late. Her daughter was spending the weekend with her former partner, but her younger brother and sister were home when the fire broke out.

HEARING LOUD EXPLOSION

“It must have been around 1:30 in the morning,” Brasz said. “I hadn’t even laid my head on the pillow when, two minutes later, I heard an enormous explosion.”

Lightning had struck the bedroom of her younger brother in the attic.

“He was standing beside the attic window and saw a huge flash of light,” she said. “I jumped out of bed immediately, and together we rushed downstairs.”

After checking the fuse box, Brasz initially saw nothing unusual.

“The fuses had tripped, but otherwise everything seemed normal,” she said. “Then my neighbor called and asked if I could smell smoke. Halfway up the stairs, I discovered the entire upper floor had turned into an inferno.”

Similar tragedies were reported elsewhere across Europe as the deadly heatwave and accompanying storms continued to impact much of the continent.

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