The World Health Organization is currently warning Europe that "more deadly weeks" are to come this summer, and countries should prepare. As it wasn't enough with the exceptionally severe June and early July including two heatwaves and a heat dome, temperatures in southern Spain and Portugal are now expected to reach 43ºC in the coming days.
As seen in France, the extreme heat in unaccustomed regions has already put major pressure on health systems and infrastructure. Experts remind that the June 20-28 heatwave was Europe's strongest on record, disrupting power generation and even damaging infrastructure, not to mention the overwhelmed healthcare services.
Beyond Portugal and Spain, the continent's heat-response plans remain patchy, as the WHO says that countries with heat-health action plans coped better but less than half of its European members have one. As usual, vulnerable groups such as care home residents, homeless, and isolated older adults are not being reached properly.
