Deaths, disruptions across Europe: What you should know about the heatwave

A severe heatwave is gripping Europe as temperatures push towards record June highs. Authorities have issued heat alerts across much of the region, warning of risks to health, transport networks and public services as the mercury climbs. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent with temperatures rising at about twice the global average rate. Much of its infrastructure, housing and transport networks were designed for a cooler climate, making prolonged periods of extreme heat particularly disruptive. The latest heatwave is the second major episode of extreme heat to hit Europe in just two months, raising new concerns about the impact of the climate crisis. “People should be very concerned,” Laurie Parsons, reader in Human Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, told Al Jazeera. “Heat stress is currently the world’s most lethal environmental hazard with almost half a million people dying each year from heat-related illnesses, according to the World Health Organization.” What are the consequences so far? What’s driving the current heatwave? And why do scientists expect extreme weather like this more frequently in the years ahead? Here’s what you should know: Why are people dying during the heatwave? France has emerged as an epicentre, recording its hottest day on record, according to provisional figures from the weather agency Meteo-France. …