Life in the Western European cauldron

The intense heatwave, with temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius in Western Europe, is affecting people's lives.

Temperature map of Western European cities on June 21st. Graphic: TOI .

France and Spain are the two countries most affected by this heatwave, with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius in some cities such as Nantes, Bordeaux, and Bilbao.

The weather across Western Europe today continues to be hot and sunny across a wide area. French Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu is expected to chair an emergency meeting after the meteorological agency Meteo France recorded an unprecedentedly high average temperature for June.

The average temperature on June 22nd reached 29.2 degrees Celsius, surpassing the record set for June 30th, 2025. The village of Chateaumeillant in central France recorded a stifling temperature of 43.3 degrees Celsius.

French authorities believe that extreme weather was the cause of death for two children, aged two and four, who were found on June 22nd in their family car in a residential parking lot in the southern town of Carpentras. The day before, three elderly people had also died at their home in the Gironde province, in the southwest of the country, due to the severe weather.

At the Pean nursing home in Paris, staff bring water to constantly remind the elderly to drink enough water.

"Just putting a glass of water down and telling them to drink isn't enough. You have to make sure they actually drink the water," said head nurse Badra Hamadi.

Pedestrians sought shade, used umbrellas, or fanned themselves on the streets of London on June 22.

Just weeks after Britain recorded record-breaking May temperatures, the UK Met Office issued a red alert, the highest level and only the second such warning in British history, for several areas on June 24-25.

"It is highly likely that the record for the highest temperature in June will be broken. The current record is 35.6°C, previously recorded in Southampton in June 1976 and at Camden Square in June 1957," said the UK Met Office.

The agency predicted a maximum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius on June 23rd before soaring to 40 degrees Celsius in some areas on June 24th and 25th. A red alert was in effect from 9 am on June 24th to 9 pm on June 25th and covered a wide area across central and southern England, including London and Birmingham – the UK's two largest cities.

Schools in southwest England have indicated plans to send students home early, and a railway company announced the cancellation or alteration of some trains departing from London due to "severe weather".

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A thermometer recorded a temperature of 44 degrees Celsius in the city of Nantes, Loire-Atlantique province, on June 22nd. The area was placed under a red alert, the highest level in France.

In Paris, people flock to parks and riverside areas throughout the city to swim and escape the heat. One of the most popular spots is the Trocadero fountain at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

The horse at the farm in Wehrheim, near Frankfurt, Germany, is sprayed with water to cool its body.

Farmers operate combine harvesters to harvest crops in a field near the village of Muenchendorf, south of Austria's capital Vienna. Severe drought and intense early summer heatwaves are forcing farmers across Europe to begin their annual grain harvest weeks earlier than usual.

Sanitation workers spray water to cool the streets of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The country recorded temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius in many areas – a high temperature for a temperate nation – prompting authorities to issue warnings of heat shock, high humidity, and the possibility of thunderstorms.

Guests used umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun while watching an outdoor fashion show in Milan on June 22.

The Italian Ministry of Health issued a red alert for heat on June 23rd in 15 cities, including Milan and Rome, and stated that the number of cities under red alert would increase to 16 by June 24th.

The Italian Ministry of Health advises people to eat light meals, stay indoors during the hottest times of the day, and wipe their bodies with cool water.

In Rome, transport authorities have acknowledged that the batteries in the city's new electric buses are running out of power before drivers finish their shifts due to excessive use of air conditioning. "We are coordinating services to cope with this unusual heatwave," the authorities stated.

Tourists drink refreshing water at a public well in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.

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The fountain area in Madrid Rio Park has become a popular spot for adults and children to relax and escape the heat in Madrid, Spain.

With temperatures peaking at 40 degrees Celsius on June 22nd, Madrid's city hall has set up a "shelter" for the homeless and vulnerable. Open from midday to 8 pm, it provides drinking water, food, and hygiene facilities.

In the southern city of Cordoba, doctor Clarisa Arismendi, 32, is trying to find a way to bring down the fever.

"I'm eating ice cream because the weather is awful, it feels like a disaster. I don't know what the temperature is right now, but it feels terrible. And I'm Mexican too," she said.

Photo: AFP, AP

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/cuoc-life-in-the-western-europe-fire-sand-sand-post312753.html