European Heatwave kills 1,100

Europe is encountering a devastating heatwave which has unleashed wildfires, forcing tens and thousands of people from their homes — while killing over a thousand more. According to Axios, over 1,100 people died from extreme heat in Spain and Portugal alone in the past two weeks.

Temperatures have soared past 40 degrees Celsius, with the UK hitting an all-time record since 2019. The BBC reports, Parts of the country are now under a "Red warning" for extreme heat, for the first time in history.

While those kinds of temperatures may be common in other places of the world, Europe is ill-prepared. The London Underground, for instance, had to suspend some services due to the lack of air conditioning.

"We’re climate change refugees," one resident who lives in southwestern France told French newspaper Le Monde, as quoted by The Guardian.

Southern Europe lit up in "monster" wildfires, with authorities warning of "very extreme" fire danger this week in areas across Spain, southern France, Italy, and even the UK, according to the BBC.

Officials called the area "a real powder keg," due to winds fanning flames, The New York Times reports. Portugal hit temperatures of 116 degrees Fahrenheit last week, a July record, according to AFP. Meteorologist, François Gourand, told Agence France-Presse."In some south-western areas it will be a heat apocalypse," 

Source: Heat wave kills more than 1,900 people in Spain and Portugal