Tag Archives: Heat Wave

Heat Wave Sets Records in Germany; More Deaths in Egypt

The death toll in the Middle East heat wave continues to climb.

Egyptian officials say that 76 people are now confirmed dead because of the extreme heat which reached 116 degrees in some parts of the country.  State media said that 21 people died from heatstroke on Tuesday.

Over 1,200 people are hospitalized with heat related illnesses.

The heat outside is also causing the heat to rise in the arena of socio-political problems within the Middle Eastern nation.

“It is highlighting the huge gap that exists between classes in the region in general and specifically in countries that are not as rich as the Gulf countries. So in Egypt, for example, it is dividing the classes further,” Ziad Akl, a senior researcher at the Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told VOA.  He said that the rich remain inside with air conditioners while the poor have no choice but to use locations like public fountains.

In Iraq, the heat is causing people to short out electrical systems in attempts to keep cool.

“Last week most Iraqi areas were left without electricity for almost three days,” Suadad al-Salhy, a freelance journalist who covers Iraq for Middle East Eye said to VOA.

The heat wave is moving north from the Middle East into Europe causing electrical grid disruptions.

Poland’s national electric supplier cut power to factories for several hours Monday to try and keep the grid from total failure.  The heat combined with extended dry weather has reduced water levels to rivers that cool the nation’s power plants.

Wroclaw, Poland saw an all-time record high of 102 degrees.  The average high for that area is 72 degrees.

Germany tied its all time record high with a mark of 104.5 in Kitzingen.  It was the second time in a month the city had hit the 104.5 mark.

At least 19 cities in the Czech Republic have also tied or topped all-time heat records.

Heat Wave Baking Europe

A heat wave has been baking Europe over the last week setting record high temperatures from Spain to England.

Meteorologists across the continent were reporting temperatures well over 100 degrees fahrenheit including southern France where the daytime highs are expected to top 105 degrees through the rest of the week.

“We have a lot of heat-wave days ahead of us,” MeteoFrance forecaster Francois Gourand told the Associated Press.

Heat in France was causing problems for the power grid, as 120,000 homes in the town of Vannes were left without power on Wednesday.

An all time high temperature for the UK in July was recorded on the first day of the month as London’s Heathrow Airport reported a high of 98.6 degrees.

The heat wave is striking the country at the start of the Wimbledon tennis championships and officials say it’s officially the hottest players have had to compete in the tournament’s history since it began in 1877.   The heat was so intense a ball boy collapsed from the heat and had to be taken out on a stretcher.

While the heat bothered some residents, others took it in stride.

“I’m loving it. I can’t complain,” university student Maggie Cloud told the AP. “We pay so much money to go abroad to holidays, and now we have the weather here. It’s cheaper.”

Pakistan Heat Wave Death Toll Skyrockets

The death toll from the heat wave in Karachi, Pakistan has skyrocketed in the last 24 hours.

Reported yesterday at close to 225 victims of the heat, the official toll now stands at over 650 people.  Morgue officials say they are overwhelmed by the number of bodies and that hospitals throughout the region have declared a state of emergency.

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, the area’s largest hospital, reported treating over 3,000 patients in the last few days.  The city’s main morgue is over capacity.

Authorities have closed schools and even some government offices in an attempt to keep residents from going out in the lethal heat.

Saeed Mangnejo, senior provincial health official, told the Irish Independent newspaper that he expects the death toll to climb further in the next few days.

The wealthy in the city have been receiving tankers of water but the poor are having to go without fresh, cool water.

“This is how it is. No one cares for common poor man here,” Khadim Ali complained as he fanned his cousin, Shahad Ali, a 40-year-old vegetable vendor who collapsed in the heat.

The situation is further complicated for many Muslim residents as they cannot eat or drink during the daylight hours because of Ramadan.

Meterologists say a sea breeze will likely move into the region through the night bringing cooler temperatures.  A monsoon rain could also reach the city and bring relief.

The city’s electrical grid continues to fail as residents overwhelm the system with air conditioners and fans.

Heat Wave Kills 224 in Karachi

A record-shattering heat wave in Pakistan has left at least 224 people dead.

Officials in Karachi, the country’s largest city with 20 million residents, say that 224 people have been confirmed dead from heat related causes.  Hundreds more are being treated for heat stroke or other heat related illnesses.

“Hospitals across the city are overcrowded due to record numbers of patients suffering from heat stroke,” Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, the health minister for Sindh province, said. “The numbers are unprecedented but the situation is under control.”

Temperatures in the city on Saturday reached close to 113 degrees fahrenheit, the highest recorded temperature in the country in 15 years.  Sunday’s high was around 108.5 fahrenheit.  The city’s all time record is 117 degrees fahrenheit set in 1979.

Local media reported that 150 bodies were taken to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth.  The morgue usually receives 20 bodies a day.

Many of the country’s residents are Muslim, meaning they are observing Ramadan and not partaking of food and water during the daylight hours.  The city is also dealing with frequent power outages that cut off air conditioning and fans.

The heat wave comes after a wave last month in India left over 2,000 people dead.

India Heat Wave Death Toll Climbing

The death toll in the killer heat wave sweeping India has jumped past the 2,000 mark.

Local officials say that over 2,300 are confirmed dead from the heat with 1,700 in just Andhra Pradesh state along India’s coast.

Scattered rain has been striking the country and helping to cool temperatures that ran as high as almost 118 degrees last week.  The rain has helped the capital city of New Delhi fall into the upper 90s with their daily high temperatures.

The monsoon season will begin later this week with the arrival of the first main monsoon.  The temperatures are expected to fall to less lethal levels within days of the main monsoon’s arrival.

 

The majority of the dead were the nation’s poor and sick.  Many were unable to find shelter from the heat.

Heat Wave Kills Over 1,100 In India

A heat wave in India has left over 1,100 dead in the last month according to local officials.

Over 850 of the dead are in Andhra Pradesh state during the last two weeks.  The temperatures in both states have topped 113 degrees fahrenheit and the forecasts continue to have temperatures hovering in that range.

Government officials are running announcements on radio and television asking people to drink water and to avoid going outdoors during the hottest parts of the day.

AccuWeather says the heat wave is the most intense in years.  High peaks were as much as 10 degrees higher than the average.  High, hot, dry winds are causing dust storms that are causing problems on top of the high temperatures.

The heat has been so intense that it has melted roadways in New Delhi.

The country’s power grid has been challenged by the heat wave as people attempt to use fans and air conditioners.  Poorly maintained transmission lines contribute to overloaded grids with he massive use.

The country could see relief in a few weeks when monsoon rains are expected to begin.

Chinese Heatwave Worst In 140 Years

Temperatures in China during the day are so high that people are grilling shrimp on manhole covers and eggs are hatching without incubators.

Chinese officials say that in some locations the heat is the worst in 140 years and has forced them to issue a “level 2” weather emergency. “Level 2” is usually reserved for typhoons and flooding. Continue reading →

U.K. Heatwave Melts Roads; Warps Railroad Tracks

In a week where the highest temperature of the year was recorded at Heathrow Airport in London, the U.K. Is facing a serious heat crisis.

London’s Waterloo train station was facing delays after a rail buckled due to the heat. The station’s platforms one through four are closed pending repairs to the warped rail. Network Rail had issued restrictions to trains last week because of the high temperatures trackside. Continue reading →