Heatwave Sweeps Europe: France On Rare Red Alert, Eiffel Tower Shuts, Wildfires Rage In Turkiye And Greece

<p>An unrepeatable heatwave that has scorched southern Europe for days is now gripping northern regions, triggering health warnings, school closures, and wildfire evacuations. Scientists are calling this an unusual early-season weather event, intensified by human-induced climate change.</p>
<h3><strong>Red Alerts Issued as Heatwave Spreads North</strong></h3>
<p>The French national weather service issued a rare &ldquo;red alert,&rdquo; the highest warning level, on Tuesday&mdash;its first in five years&mdash;as parts of France prepared for temperatures exceeding 40&deg;C (104&deg;F), news agency AFP reported. The country had already recorded its hottest June day on record on Monday. Authorities expected nearly 1,350 schools to be fully or partially shut due to overheating and lack of ventilation, nearly double the number from the previous day.</p>
<p>In Paris, where the heat was described as &ldquo;a struggle&rdquo; by residents, the Eiffel Tower&rsquo;s peak was closed and will remain shut until at least Wednesday.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We have air-conditioning but it&rsquo;s not very powerful,&rdquo; said 27-year-old Raphael. &ldquo;Today is going to be a struggle.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Warnings have been issued for vulnerable groups including children, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, and the homeless.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When it&rsquo;s cold, I add blankets and hats,&rdquo; said Jo, a 55-year-old homeless man in Bordeaux, as quoted by AFP. &ldquo;But when it&rsquo;s hot like this, what can I do? Nothing, just wait for it to pass and hope I don&rsquo;t faint.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Across the Netherlands, temperatures were forecast to hit 38&deg;C in some areas. Regions including Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Arnhem activated emergency measures such as checking on senior citizens and adjusting school hours. Several schools in Rotterdam and West Brabant switched to &ldquo;tropical schedules&rdquo; to limit students&rsquo; exposure to the heat.</p>
<h3><strong>Southern Europe Continues to Scorch</strong></h3>
<p>In Portugal, red alerts were downgraded in most areas by Tuesday, though temperatures were still expected to reach 40&deg;C in central and southern regions like Castelo Branco, Beja, and &Eacute;vora.</p>
<p>Spain recorded a new June high of 46&deg;C in the south, with continued red alerts and health warnings. Italy issued heat warnings for 18 cities, including Rome, Milan, Verona, Perugia, and Palermo. The Balkans, particularly Montenegro and the Croatian coast, were also affected.</p>
<p>The risk of wildfires remains dangerously high. In Portugal, 250 firefighters were deployed Monday night to contain a blaze in Aljustrel.</p>
<p>In Turkiye, over 50,000 people were evacuated due to multiple fires in the Izmir province, worsened by winds reaching 120 km/h (75 mph). Greece continues to battle wildfires amid the relentless heat.</p>
<h3><strong>Climate Scientists Raise Alarm</strong></h3>
<p>Experts have linked the heatwave to climate change, warning that these extreme and prolonged heat events are becoming more common and deadly.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This event is unusual because it&rsquo;s extreme, very early in the summer period, and climate change has almost certainly made it worse,&rdquo; said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, as per AFP.</p>
<p>&ldquo;More and more European cities are adapting,&rdquo; she added, &ldquo;but arguably it&rsquo;s not quick enough or extensive enough. We&rsquo;re still seeing infrastructure challenges, pressure on healthcare systems, and excess deaths.&rdquo;</p>