FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The extreme heat wave that has swept across Europe is causing increasingly severe consequences, with the World Health Organization warning that record temperatures have been linked to over 1,300 additional deaths since June 21.
WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Europe is experiencing an alarming situation, as it is the fastest-warming continent in the world.
"Over 1,300 additional deaths have been recorded since June 21 and are linked to high temperatures in Europe," he said.
He stressed that around 150 million people are currently living under the influence of extreme heat, while hundreds of people have lost their lives, schools have been closed and energy networks are facing overload.
"Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, at a rate twice the global average. Currently, 150 million people are living under the influence of extreme heat, hundreds have lost their lives, schools have been closed and energy networks are being overloaded," the WHO head added.
Last weekend brought record temperatures to several European countries, including Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, where the thermometer reached and in some areas exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
In the Czech Republic, authorities urged citizens to avoid physical activity and issued warnings of high air pollution due to rising ozone levels. In Germany, train traffic was limited on several main lines, while trams were suspended in Leipzig. In Berlin, police used water cannons to cool citizens, while many residents chose not to leave their homes until the evening.
Problems were also reported in France, where the energy distribution company Enedis reported that about 36,000 households were left without electricity. Meanwhile, Hungary announced that the Paks nuclear power plant reduced production, as the high temperature of the Danube River water did not allow normal cooling of the reactors.
Tedros called stress from extreme temperatures a "silent killer," stressing that infrastructure in Europe is not designed to cope with such heat waves.
"Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of heat waves that once occurred once in a generation is now recurring almost every year," he concluded.
According to scientists cited by Reuters, the heat wave that began on June 20 could be the worst ever recorded in Europe.
Lini një Përgjigje