Omega Heatwave Triggers Power Outages in France and Red Alerts in Britain
Key Takeaways
- Record heat across Western Europe, with 40°C-plus readings in multiple countries.
- WHO declares heatwave a public health emergency and urges resilient health systems.
- France experiences hottest day since 1947 and rising emergency hospital visits.
Heatwave Strains Europe
Europe is in the grip of an intense heatwave as the Omega weather pattern traps hot air over large parts of the continent, with temperatures climbing past 40°C in several countries and prompting governments to shift into emergency response mode.
“World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday urged leaders to invest in climate-resilient health systems without delay as Europe grapples with an intensifying heat wave”
In France, Meteo-France said its national temperature indicator reached 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, after a record 29.8C (85.64F) was measured on Tuesday, and the heatwave was forecast to reach around 40 to 42C (104-107.6F).
The heatwave also triggered France’s first major power outage of this latest bout after a heat-related incident with a transformer left about 68,000 households on Wednesday without electricity in the northwestern department of Finistere.
In the United Kingdom, the Met Office recorded the UK’s hottest June day on record with a provisional temperature of 35.7C (96.2F) on Wednesday, and issued a “red” heat health alert for Wednesday and Thursday for much of central and southern England, as well as Wales.
WHO Warns, Officials Act
The World Health Organization warned that the heatwave hitting Europe was putting people’s “health at risk,” and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged leaders to invest in climate-resilient health systems without delay.
Ghebreyesus wrote, “We cannot afford further delay. Leaders must prioritise investment in climate-resilient health systems,” as he said high temperatures were forcing school closures and posing risks to public health.
In the UK, Mark Sidaway, deputy chief forecaster for the Met Office, said, “Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events, and we’re expecting severe and significant impacts from this heatwave.”
In France, the Health Ministry reported a jump of “15% to 20%” in calls to the SAMU, the French emergency medical assistance service, while Health Minister Stéphanie Rist told Franceinfo radio station that “hospitals are not overwhelmed.”
Schools, Transport, Power
Heat is disrupting daily life across Europe, with the UK issuing guidance that passengers avoid nonessential travel in areas covered by the red warning and Eurostar cancelling four trains planned between London and Paris on Wednesday and Thursday “due to expected adverse weather.”
“Heat is no longer just a climate issue; it has become a health emergency”
In France, the heatwave’s pressure on infrastructure contributed to power outages, with up to 106,000 clients of the French power network left without power by late Tuesday as scorching temperatures strained infrastructure.
In Italy, the Ministry of Health declared a red heatwave alert in 16 cities on Wednesday, including Milan and Rome, while Spain’s Aemet issued a red alert for Andalusia with temperatures forecast to reach 44 degrees Celsius.
Across the region, the WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said, “Heatwaves are no longer freak weather anomalies. They are now a recurring crisis,” as the latest guidance emphasized that nearly all heat-related deaths recorded in recent years were preventable.
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