According to data from the European Union’s climate monitoring service, Copernicus, the average temperature in Western Europe during June and July reached 21.62 degrees Celsius, which is 2.79 degrees above the seasonal norm.
“Elchi” reports that July was also recorded as the hottest month globally for non-polar oceans.
It is stated that the record temperatures measured in the Atlantic Ocean and the Western Mediterranean are negatively affecting marine life and coastal communities due to the El Niño weather phenomenon developing in the Pacific Ocean.
Deaths and inadequate infrastructure
It has been reported that more than 25,000 people in Europe affected by heatwaves have lost their lives due to heat-related causes. Outdated infrastructure and insufficient use of air conditioning have made it difficult to combat the heat.
Climatologist Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts stated that extreme heat and drought trigger each other, and as the soil dries out, it loses its natural cooling capacity. Record decreases in rainfall and soil moisture levels have been recorded in some regions of France, Spain, Germany, and England.
Warnings about forest fires and river water levels
Record temperatures have caused forest fires across the continent. Fires covering Spain, France, and Italy have burned more than 1.23 million acres of land and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Laurence Rouil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, stated that the dense smoke caused by the fires has lowered air quality in large areas. Due to the drought, water levels in the Seine, Rhine, and Danube rivers have dropped. Due to the extreme recession of the Danube River, production at nuclear reactors in Hungary and Romania that rely on the river for cooling has been temporarily suspended.
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