Hot weekend for Europe, officials warn of extreme fire risk

Jun 17, 2022, 8:38 PM | Updated: Jun 18, 2022, 9:07 am

People swim in the river Limmat at Letten, in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, June 18, 2022. People flocked to parks and pools across Western Europe on Saturday for a bit of respite from an early heat wave that saw the mercury rise above 40 Cs (104 F) in France and Spain, and highs of 38 C (100.4 F) in Germany. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

(Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

People rest in the shade in a park Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Paris. A blanket of hot air stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea is bringing much of Western Europe its first heat wave of the summer, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

A couple sits in the shade in a park Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Paris. A blanket of hot air stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea is bringing much of Western Europe its first heat wave of the summer, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

People relax in the shade in the gardens of the Palais Royal, Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Paris. A blanket of hot air stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea is bringing much of Western Europe its first heat wave of the summer, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

A woman draws in the shade in the gardens of the Palais Royal, Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Paris. A blanket of hot air stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea is bringing much of Western Europe its first heat wave of the summer, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

A young man jumps from the diving tower into the water, at the stadium pool, in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Christian Knieps//dpa via AP)

Hannes drinks a canned beer in the bright sunshine at the Hurricane Festival campground, in Scheebel, Germany, Saturday, June 18, 2022, The open-air festival with around 78,000 visitors per day takes place from June 17 to 19. (Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa via AP)

A young man jumps into the water at the Georg Arnhold pool in summer temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, in Dresden, Germany, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Michael/dpa via AP)

The sun rises over a highway in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, June 18, 2022, as Germany expects this year's hottest weekend, according to weather reports. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A child carries a float across the beach to the Baltic Sea in Warnemunde, Germany, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Jens Buttner/dpa via AP)

People enjoy the beach, near to the Baltic Sea in Warnemunde, Germany, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Jens Buttner/dpa via AP)

Eva-Maria Gödde from North Rhine-Westphalia cools off in the midday sun with a glass full of ice cubes, in Harz, Germany, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Matthias Bein/dpa via AP)

A woman sunbathes in the gardens of the Palais Royal, Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Paris. A blanket of hot air stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea is bringing much of Western Europe its first heat wave of the summer, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

BERLIN (AP) — People flocked to parks and pools across Western Europe on Saturday for a bit of respite from an early heat wave that saw the mercury rise above 40 C (104 F) in France and Spain.

In Germany, where highs of 38 C (100.4 F) were expected, the health minister urged vulnerable groups to stay hydrated.

“Heat and too little fluids can be deadly for older people,” Karl Lauterbach tweeted. “We need to keep an eye on the elderly and those with disabilities today.”

Meanwhile, officials warned of wildfires across the western Mediterranean region as high temperatures and a long dry spell made for combustible conditions.

The European Commission’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service said the fire risk was “extreme” and “very extreme” in much of Spain, the Rhone river valley in France, Sardinia, Sicily and parts of mainland Italy.

The 27-nation bloc has put 12 firefighting planes and a helicopter on standby to assist countries struggling with major blazes this summer.

Meteorologists in France described the situation as “really exceptional” and predicted that a peak of 43 C (109.4 F) could be reached Saturday before thunderstorms bring cooler weather in from the Atlantic.

Experts say the early heat wave is a sign of what’s to come as climate change makes extreme temperatures normally seen only in July and August more likely in June too.

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Follow AP’s coverage of climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate

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