Environment

Europe Bakes in Heatwave

Spain is seeing its hottest early summer temperatures, one area of France banned outdoor events, and drought stalked Italian farmers as a heatwave sent Europeans hunting for shade and fretting over climate change. Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in Madrid on Friday. A level not seen so early in the year since 1981. Northern Italian regions risk losing up to half their agricultural output due to a drought, as lakes and rivers start to run dangerously low, jeopardizing irrigation. Italy’s longest river, the Po, was experiencing its worst drought for 70 years, leaving many sections of the vast, northern waterway completely dried up.

In France, the Gironde department around Bordeaux prohibited public events including concerts and those at indoor venues without air conditioning. Fourteen administrative departments were on red alert, with schoolchildren told to stay at home in these areas. Speed limits were lowered in several regions, including around Paris, to limit exhaust emissions and a buildup of harmful smog.

Britain’s weather service said Friday was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures above 32 Celsius in some parts of the southeast.

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