Europe melts under Sahara heat wave

Scientists warn these types of climate could become the new normal for the temperate continent

PARIS - Even ice cream, Italian gelato or popsicles couldn't help this time.

Temperature records that had stood for decades or even just hours fell minute by minute on Thursday afternoon and Europeans and tourists alike jumped into fountains, lakes, rivers or the sea to escape a suffocating heat wave rising up from the Sahara.

It was nearly impossible to keep up with the falling records as temperatures climbed higher and higher under a brutal sun - in Paris and London, in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands - all places where air conditioning is not typically installed in homes, cafes or stores. Even office air conditioning systems strained under the hot, dry air that was trapped between two stormy weather systems.

The sheer levels of heat on Thursday afternoon were nothing short of astonishing.

The Paris area hit 42.6 C, beating the previous record of 40.4 C set in 1947.

The Netherlands' meteorological institute announced a record that beat the previous record set just a day ago: 40.7 C in Gilze Rijen near the Belgian border.

London recorded its hottest day on record for July, with the mercury climbing to 36.9 C at Heathrow Airport. The previous July record was 36.7 C in 2015.

Across the Channel, the heat damaged overhead electric wires between London's St. Pancras train station and Luton Airport, blocking all train lines.

Climate scientists warned these types of heat waves could become the new normal but they loom as a giant challenge for temperate Europe. As emissions keep warming the planet, scientists say there will be more and hotter heat waves, although it's too early to know whether this specific hot spell is linked to man-made climate change.

"There is likely the DNA of climate change in the record-breaking heat that Europe and other parts of the world are experiencing. And it is unfortunately going to continue to worsen," said Marshall Shepherd, professor of meteorology at University of Georgia in the United States.

The speed and extent of current global warming exceeds any similar event in the past 2,000 years, a new study found. Scientists said it shows many of the arguments used by climate skeptics are no longer valid.

During the past two millennia, the planet has experienced several episodes of extreme warming and cooling as a result of natural changes to the climate.

The research confirms, however, that these climate events were patchy - impacting different parts of the world at different times. By comparison, human-caused climate change affected 98 percent of the globe simultaneously through the 20th century, researchers said.

"This provides strong evidence that anthropogenic global warming is not only unparalleled in terms of absolute temperatures, but also unprecedented in spatial consistency within the context of the past 2,000 years," the authors wrote in the journal Nature.

Electric fans sold out

Electric fans sold out across Paris - and traditional folding fans made a comeback on the city's stuffy Metro. Trains were canceled in the United Kingdom and France, with authorities in both nations urging travelers to stay home. Messages to "Hydrate yourselves!" blared from the radio and TV, and water bottles were handed out with abandon.

Still, the atmosphere was buoyant, as people sought to stay cool yet embrace the moment.

Katy James, visiting Paris from Chicago, was one of the lucky ones with an air-conditioned room but she was still out in the streets, enjoying the atmosphere.

"We've had such a good time. The Parisians have been so accommodating. We've been getting water wherever we go. We got to play in the fountain. This was amazing," James said.

As intense as it was, the heat wave in Europe is expected to be short, with temperatures forecast to drop on Friday and Saturday.

Jonathan Powell in London contributed to this story.

Agencies - China Daily

(China Daily 07/27/2019 page8)