Europe on high alert as killer heat spreads

Health authorities across Europe were on high alert on Friday as a killer heatwave progressed across the continent, prompting alcohol bans in France and cracking road surfaces open in Germany. From Britain and France to Germany, Italy, Austria and Serbia, Europe sizzled under a record-breaking ball of heat rolling across the region. Scientists said the heatwave was the worst recorded for Europe, where the climate is changing faster than anywhere else. Temperatures were probably past their peak in France and Britain, where records for June have been broken. But in Italy, the heat was expected to intensify into the weekend, bringing the summer’s first readings of 40 degrees Celsius. At least 55 deaths linked to the heatwave have been reported in France, where temperatures in Paris hit 40.9°C on Wednesday. Even though temperatures were expected to ease, authorities braced for more casualties. Across the continent, cultural landmarks have been forced to close, and farming has suffered. Paris police asked organisers of major events, including the Solidays music festival, to cancel them. Organisers of the Pride festival said they would reschedule. England and Netherlands at code red Extreme heat caused the surface of the A2 motorway in eastern Germany to buckle and rupture over several lanes on Thursday evening, according to the BZ newspaper, damaging up to 30 vehicles, leaving two people with minor injuries and forcing the highway to be closed. Britain’s Met Office extended a red heat alert into Friday for a large area of southern England, the first time such warnings have been issued for three consecutive days. A rare ‘code red’ alert for extreme heat was issued for almost the whole of the Netherlands and many schools were closed as temperatures up to 40°C were expected. In Serbia, authorities issued an amber alert, with temperatures of around 36°C expected. Officials in Belgrade warned people to drink and stay indoors during the hottest hours. Fans flew off the shelves