Hospitals overwhelmed as Europe heatwave shifts east

A deadly European heatwave, which has seen temperatures reach record highs, is now moving eastward, leaving a trail of devastation. In France, at least 55 people have drowned since the heatwave began, a figure authorities fear could increase. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported earlier this week that 40 individuals, many of them young, had lost their lives, often while swimming in unauthorized areas to escape the extreme heat. Across the continent, approximately 101 million people have endured temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius for several consecutive days. Scientists have unequivocally linked the extreme heat, which shattered records in Britain, France, Spain, and Switzerland, to climate change. The Netherlands has issued its first-ever red alert for heat.

“

Yesterday evening we were at 55, but we fear that the situation may worsen.

Hospitals in France are struggling to cope with the influx of patients, prompting authorities to implement rare measures such as banning evening alcohol sales and public consumption in Paris. Emergency services in both France and Britain have reported a significant increase in calls and visits related to heat exposure, with the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions being particularly vulnerable. "We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities," stated Paris police chief Patrice Faure. "The number of hospitalisations keeps increasing." France experienced a fourfold rise in emergency room visits for heat-related issues, alongside a surge in cardiac arrests. Similarly, London Ambulance Service recorded its highest number of life-threatening emergency calls in a single day due to the extreme heat.

“

We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities. The number of hospitalisations keeps increasing.

The UN's climate chief, Simon Stiell, pointed to the heatwave as having "the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it," noting that buildings and infrastructure are often ill-equipped for such temperatures. "Until humanity stops burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas, extreme heat will keep getting worse," he warned. In Spain, the MoMo mortality monitoring system has linked 212 deaths between Sunday and Wednesday to the heat. Italian newspapers reported at least five heat-related fatalities, including two farmworkers and a builder. Samantha Burgess of the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service explained the phenomenon as a "heat dome" trapping air from North Africa.

“

Until humanity stops burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas, extreme heat will keep getting worse.