A state of emergency has been declared for emergency services and the armed forces, according to abcnews.com. About one-third of France is under a red heat warning issued by the national weather service on Sunday, and temperatures across the country remain high, with some areas expected to reach 40°C (104°F) in a country where air conditioning is not widely used. The forecast for Monday calls for even hotter weather.
Water misting stations have been set up at the Eiffel Tower and other Parisian landmarks to cool the crowds—these are just some of the measures announced by national and local authorities to minimize risks.
Music and Peaceful Nuclear Energy in the Heat
France’s annual Music Day, celebrated on Sunday, is a particular concern for authorities. This nationwide celebration of the summer solstice features thousands of concerts in village squares, at rave venues, and in Parisian clubs, bringing local communities together and increasingly attracting foreign visitors.
The government has required organizers of Music Day events to limit alcohol consumption in order to “maintain the operations of emergency services and allow medical personnel to focus on caring for the most vulnerable.”
Authorities are particularly concerned about the situation of people living on the sweltering streets, as well as the elderly in nursing homes or isolated in their own homes. About 15,000 elderly people died during the 2003 heat wave, which became a turning point for France.
On Saturday, the government announced strengthened measures to combat wildfires and ordered tighter monitoring of the water supply to France’s numerous nuclear reactors.
Schools will be closed only as a last resort, the government said, although final exams scheduled for the afternoon may be postponed until the following morning or rescheduled.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a cabinet meeting on the heatwave crisis and plans to hold another on Sunday in response to what the national meteorological service has described as “widespread, prolonged, and intense” heatwave.
Lecornu has instructed government ministers to develop plans to better prepare France for future heatwaves, including “through the use of air conditioning, if necessary.”
The World Health Organization Sounds the Alarm
Over the past four years, more than 200,000 people in Europe have died from heat-related causes, and most of these deaths could have been prevented, the European Office of the World Health Organization reported this month. Even more above-average temperatures are expected this summer, which could lead to heat exhaustion and life-threatening heatstroke.
The WHO European Office has called on countries and institutions to develop heat action plans, such as opening cooling centers or introducing breaks or flexible work schedules that allow workers to avoid being in the sun at midday.
And what about Moldova?
So far, the heat wave from Europe has not reached our country. Hot summer weather has already set in in Moldova: daytime temperatures are consistently reaching +27…+32°C. In the coming days, forecasters predict that the sunny and warm weather will continue.
At least for the next 10 days, no abnormally high temperatures are expected.
