Relief from extreme heat began to reach some areas of Europe during the weekend, bringing cooler temperatures and thunderstorms after days of record-breaking heatwaves.
Germany reported a maximum daytime temperature of 24 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while Spain and Italy also saw temperatures averaging around 27C and 30C.
Belgium and Luxembourg experienced significant rainfall as temperatures dropped, marking the end of a spell of back-to-back days of scorching heat.
The cool-off came as a significant relief to many, as severe heatwaves across the continent caused temperatures to rise above 40°C (104°F) in countries including France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, with domestic authorities in some issuing red alerts and warning of the possibility of wildfires.
At least eight people have died across Europe—four people in Spain, two in France, and two in Italy—from the early summer heatwave as temperatures hit new records.
Though the extreme heat began to move east last Wednesday, meteorologists warned that the danger is, however, far from over.
Germany
In Germany, authorities issued warnings of forest fires on the border between Saxony and Brandenburg. According to the district of Meißen, hundreds of firefighters continued to combat the flames in an attempt to shield villages on the Saxon side of the Gohrischheide.
Four firefighting helicopters from the German army, federal police and state police were also deployed.
Around 2,100 hectares of the Gohrischheide nature reserve continue to burn, according to local authorities, who described the situation on the Saxon side as particularly tense.
According to the Meißen district office, more than 550 firefighters, technical relief workers, the German Armed Forces, police and other organisations with up to 140 vehicles were once again deployed to fight the fire on Sunday.
In addition to the firefighting helicopters, helpers from Saxony-Anhalt and a firefighting robot from Brandenburg supported the operation, officials said.
Spain
In Spain, many residents are increasingly choosing to spend their summer vacations in colder Nordic nations.
Last year, Spaniards were the eighth-largest tourist group in Finland, but interest is growing, with nearly 200,000 Spanish tourists visiting the Nordic country.
Although Finland is not yet as popular a tourist destination during the summer as it is in winter, it is gradually becoming an alternative, as more and more people seek a cooler retreat to escape the Mediterranean heat.
While Spaniards consider vacationing in cooler weather, many tourists are choosing to travel to Spain in search of sunshine. This year, Spain is expecting up to 100 million tourists.
Poland
Meanwhile, in Poland, rivers are drying up at a historic rate, with up to 300 hydrological stations in the central European country currently registering the lowest water levels in its history.
Weather authorities reported that the water level in the Vistula, Poland’s largest river, has significantly subsided, breaking a record.
The biggest Polish river has fallen to just 13 centimetres at the Bulwary monitoring station in Warsaw.
All provinces along the Polish rivers—including the Vistula, Odra, Warta, Bug, and Narew—have been placed on alert due to the drought. Poland’s eastern, central, and southern regions are the most affected, according to reports.
Experts are particularly concerned by forecasts for July and early August, predicting further heatwaves with temperatures exceeding 35C, combined with an almost complete lack of precipitation and low humidity in the country’s forests.
The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management has warned that less than half of the monthly rainfall norm is expected to fall in many regions of the country. Meanwhile, statistically, July was projected to be the month with the highest rainfall totals of the year.
UN: Humans will have to learn to live with heatwaves
Experts warn that extreme weather events of this nature are becoming increasingly frequent in the southern part of Europe, attributing the increased frequency and severity of heatwaves to climate change.
Last week, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) spokesperson, Clare Nullis, said humans will have to learn to live with more frequent and intense heatwaves as a result of climate change.
“We are currently under the influence of a strong high-pressure system; this is trapping hot air from northern Africa over the region. And as we can see, it’s having a pretty big impact on the way we feel,” the WMO representative said.
