The heat wave that has hit Spain for almost 10 days has killed “more than 500 people,” the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, said on Wednesday during a trip to Aragón, a northern region affected by a fire.
“During this heat wave, more than 500 people died from high temperatures,” he said, citing an estimate from the Carlos III Public Institute, which makes a statistical calculation of excess mortality from specific causes, such as rising temperatures, comparing these numbers with historical statistical series.
“I ask citizens to be extremely careful”, added Pedro Sánchez, reiterating that “the climate emergency is a reality” and that “climate change kills”.
The heat wave in Spain caused temperatures above 45ºC and numerous fires that devastated tens of thousands of hectares throughout the country.
Given the situation, the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and the Interior of the Community of Madrid, Enrique López, today asked the Government to assume the coordination of all forest fires and request the collaboration of the European Union.
“There is no need to be ashamed to ask [ajuda]we sent firefighters to Greece and Ethiopia last year, perhaps the time has come to ask for help from less devastated countries,” said López at a press conference after the Council of Ministers.
According to the official, the succession of fires in the country justifies the activation of level 3 of the 2014 Civil Protection plan, which implies that the Government assumes the coordination of all fires, which could mean a greater allocation of State resources and ask the European Union for help.
The heat wave in Europe began in the south of the continent, with special incidence in Portugal and Spain, especially during the past week, having progressed this week to the center of Europe.
France recorded absolute temperature records on Monday in 64 municipalities located mainly on the country’s Atlantic coast, with Paris reaching highs of 41 degrees Celsius, prompting residents and tourists to seek parks and areas with shade and water in the French capital. .
The temperature recorded was 5ºC higher than the usual maximum average in July and is close to the record of 42.9ºC that was reached in 2019.
Also in the United Kingdom, accustomed to mild weather and rain, temperatures reached “unprecedented” levels on Tuesday, rising to 41ºC.
Average July temperatures in the UK range from 21C during the day to 12C at night, so few homes and hardly any small businesses have air conditioning.
Climate experts warn that global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, with studies showing that temperatures in the UK are now 10 times more likely to reach 40°C than in pre-industrial times.
Source: TSF
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
