Madrid.- The intense heatwave that has scorched a large part of Europe in recent days is beginning to subside, even with a large part of the south and center of the continent on alert for high temperatures, which could be the cause of almost a dozen deaths between Spain, France and Italy.
The French government has announced at least two deaths from this episode, in addition to the urgent attention of the fire department to three hundred people.
The northwestern departments have been the first to notice the drop in heat, but in the center of the country the red alert remains, with temperatures forecast to reach 39 degrees.
In Paris the alert is orange, with estimated highs of 34 degrees.
In the afternoon and evening there is a risk of "locally violent thunderstorms", which will likely cause heavy rain.
New Protocol in Italy
With hospital emergency services saturated since Tuesday, in Italy the Ministry of Labor signs this Wednesday with unions and companies a protocol to avoid occupational hazards related to climate emergencies.
The agreement provides for new practices that include information, training, clothing and shift reorganization, among other measures. It will be added to the ordinances of the health and regional authorities, such as those that have prohibited outdoor work during the central hours of the day and with higher temperatures until the end of August.
The current heatwave, with temperatures around 40 degrees, has caused several fatalities in the country. The latest case under investigation is that of a 70-year-old truck driver who was found dead inside his vehicle at a rest area.
This Tuesday, a 53-year-old woman died in Palermo while walking down the street and feeling unwell due to the intense heat. A worker is in a coma after fainting while working in a well, and another died on Monday while working on the construction of a school.
Follow the heat in Spain
One more day, the heat continues to be stifling in Spain and eleven communities have activated warnings for very high temperatures, with seven of them at orange level, including Madrid, due to the forecast of extreme values that could reach up to 43 degrees in points of Andalusia.
The situation may persist on Thursday, although the arrival of a front will cause a drop in values for the weekend in the Cantabrian Sea that could extend to other areas.
This Wednesday temperatures will drop noticeably in the northern communities, with associated rains in that area.
In Barcelona, a cleaning service worker from the City Council died on Saturday night after having worked during the afternoon shift in extreme heat conditions.
A child of about two and a half years old died on Tuesday in Valls (Tarragona) after being locked in a car for almost four hours. Police sources point to heatstroke as a possible cause.
Cooling off in the subway and churches in Germany
Germany is facing this Wednesday the hottest day so far this year, with temperatures that in some places can reach 40 °C and extreme heat warnings particularly in the west and southwest.
If the highest temperature of the year so far was recorded in Bavaria on Tuesday, 37.8 °C, everything indicates that this record will be broken today, although not the historical one, which dates back to June 25, 2019, when the thermometers marked 41.2 °C in North Rhine-Westphalia.
In Berlin, one of the proposals to escape the extreme heat is to take refuge in the Brandenburger Tor subway station, ideal for tourists who usually visit this monument and which is located 17 meters deep.
Some places of worship have opened their doors as a shelter, particularly for the homeless.
This heat wave in Germany will give way to a gradual drop in temperatures starting Thursday, with highs in the northwest between 20 and 26 degrees and between 25 and 32 in the southeast.
The dog days have also reached the Western Balkans region, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 42 degrees in the next three days. In North Macedonia, the news reports announce that "the Spanish heatwave" is arriving in the country.
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