On Tuesday, large swaths of Europe broiled in a heatwave that was followed by wildfires and health advisories, while other regions of Asia and the United States also saw severe weather.
Firefighters fought fires in sections of Greece and the Canary Islands, Spain issued heat alerts, and some kids in Sardinia, Italy, were advised against participating in sports for their own safety.
“You can’t be in the street, it’s horrible,” said Lidia Rodriguez, 27, in Madrid.
Authorities have recently issued warnings about the health risks of the high heat, advising people to drink water and seek shade. These warnings have come from California to China.
The weather service said that several regional temperature records were broken in southern France.
In the Alpine ski resort of Alpe d’Huez, which is located at an elevation of 1,860 meters (6,100 feet), a record 29.5 C (85 F) was reached, while a record 40.6 C was recorded for the first time in Verdun in the Pyrenean foothills.
In a stark reminder of the effects of global warming, the UN’s World Meteorological Agency (WMO) said the trend of heatwaves “shows no signs of decreasing”.
“These events will continue to grow in intensity, and the world needs to prepare for more intense heatwaves,” John Nairn, a senior extreme heat advisor at the WMO told reporters in Geneva.
