Update: The UK hit an all-time temperature record of 104.5℉ today, Tuesday. That is more than 20 degrees above normal [see map below] This heat wave is playing havoc with infrastructure and human services. Wildfires pose a threat to thousands of Europeans who are not accustomed to surviving extreme heat. Air-conditioning is not omnipresent as it is in the USA. Remarkably, London does not have cooling centers for an escape from the heat that is how rare extreme heat waves are in Europe's largest city and biggest urban heat island. Firefighters battled grass fires that damaged homes in the greater London metro. The village of Wennington in East London was among those locations that were hit with wildfire. By the end of the day the London Fire Brigade had 105 of its available 143 engines responding to fires. The fire commissioner criticized members of the public for being careless and reckless during the heat emergency.
Luton Airport in the UK had to shut down because the tarmac on the runway began softening in the record heat on Monday. Hundreds of trains were cancelled as the temperature climbed into the high 30s (100s℉ =37.8℃). A UK man actually got his foot stuck in a pothole when he stepped on soft asphalt. He had to be chilled out. Asphalt begins to melt at 50℃ Temperatures are expected to drop on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in France wildfires have stretched resources and caused casualties. In Gironde fires have been raging since Tuesday. So far 32,000 acres have burned driven by high winds. Sixteen thousand holiday makers have been forced to evacuate as the fires reached the beach near the famous sand dune of Pilat. In Brittany, which rarely has to deal with extreme hot temperatures, the thermometer could reach 104, setting a new record. The cyclists competing in the Tour de France are finding the weather conditions very difficult.
Spain is also burning. About 20 wildfires are out of control across the country. A firefighter died while trying to contain the blazes in Zamora. Two Spaniards died of heatstroke over the weekend. Portugal set a new record of 47℃ (116.6 ℉) on Thursday, but as largely been spared destructive wildfires. Thirty fires were burning on Friday in Portugal according to the BBC. 238 more people have died than usual at this time of year Portuguese health officials reported. Italy, Greece and Croatia have all reported wildfires.
Only 3% of American voters polled think that climate change is the most serious problem facing the country, which is understandable when one considers mass shootings almost daily in the most gun-crazy country in the world.
