Europe’s deadly heatwave scorches eastern flank, takes aim at Ukraine

PARIS, June 29 — The most severe heatwave ever recorded in Europe roasted central and eastern parts of the continent today and began to creep over Ukraine, which scrambled to prepare its war-ravaged power grid for the shock of scorching heat.

The heatwave first smothered western Europe last week, sending mercury to record highs and straining hospitals, transport networks and power grids on a continent where infrastructure was not built to withstand the punishing temperatures and where air conditioning is not widespread.

More than 1,300 excess deaths were recorded in Europe since June 21, according to the UN health agency, including several small children who died in locked cars and youths who drowned as they sought relief from the infernal temperatures in unsupervised swimming spots.

France reported at least 74 drowning deaths since June 18 and Poland said 17 drowned yesterday alone.

“I’m doing the same thing as everyone — trying to stay in the shade and drink a lot of water,” Susanne, a Vienna resident, told AFP on a bank of a river near the Austrian capital.

“I just hope that the politicians will understand the situation and will begin to set a course in the right direction,” she said.

Today, the Balkans braced for temperatures of up to 40°C, with firefighters in Bosnia battling blazes sparked during the heat.

At least 130 million people in Europe were expected to swelter through temperatures of more than 35°C, down from 190 million yesterday according to an AFP analysis.

This heatwave is the most severe ever recorded in Europe, and would have been “virtually impossible” this early in the summer without climate change, the World Weather Attribution group of scientists said.

All-time temperature records have been broken in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as for the month of June in the UK and in Switzerland.

New shock for Ukraine

Ukraine today was preparing to absorb the blow from Nature on its energy network, already pummelled by Russian attacks over more than four years of war.

Grid operators in at least five regions — from Ivano-Frankivsk in the west to Zaporizhzhia on the front line in the south — announced temporary restrictions on energy usage would be in force during parts of Tuesday.

The state weather service said the country would face “intense heat”, with temperatures of 35°C-38°C expected today.

“The heat is also a serious test for equipment that has been operating under wartime conditions for more than four years and has withstood numerous attacks,” Sergii Kovalenko, CEO of the Yasno energy company said over the weekend.

He said that summer was the peak period for repairing the energy network, battered through the winter by repeat Russian attacks, meaning the grid was already “operating at the limit of its capabilities”.

Record temperatures

Over the weekend, the heat scorched the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland, with the countries setting new temperature records of 41.9°C, 41.7°C and 40.5°C, respectively.

The Berlin police used water cannons to help residents of the capital cool off for a second day running yesterday — this time at the Olympia venue where singer Bruno Mars was performing.

With temperatures cooling in France, the national weather service said yesterday evening it was already anticipating the possibility of another heatwave in July. — AFP