Much of Western Europe is facing record-breaking temperatures once again, with the second heatwave in a month reaching its peaking on Thursday 25/07. Heatwave conditions have already caused forest fires, grounded planes and buckled train tracks and led to closures of places of work and warnings over air quality. In France, officials warned people to avoid travelling and to work from home if possible. The chief architect responsible for restoring the Notre-Dame warned that the extreme heat could lead to the cathedral roof collapsing if the joints and masonry holding up the roof dry out. In parts of north Germany, rivers and lakes have dried up. In the Netherlands, hundreds of pigs died after a ventilator at a farm failed. Meanwhile, a Eurostar train from Brussels to London broke down, trapping passengers. This heatwave is the result of a zone of high pressure over Denmark and Scandinavia. This dragged hot air from over north Africa, Portugal and Spain towards northwestern Europe. This raised temperatures and relative humidity, creating deadly heatwave conditions. An intense heatwave in June had through areas of Europe, making it the hottest June on record. France set an all-time temperature record of 46 C. New June highs were set in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Andorra, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany. This time round, records have been broken once again. Germany set a new temperature record, reaching 41.5 C in the west. With a temperature of 42.6 C, Paris experienced its hottest day ever today. With a maximum of 38.1 C in Cambridge, the temperature in the UK was just 0.4 C short of breaking the all time record. The Netherlands also recorded its hottest ever temperature, with the high in Deelen reportedly soaring to 42.9 C. The Belgian town of Kleine Brogel hit 39.9 C, the hottest since 1833.

Il-biċċa l-kbira tal-punent ta’ l-Ewropa mill-ġdid qed tesperjenza mewġa ta’ sħana rekord, bit-tieni mewġa ta’ sħana f’xahar tilħaq l-aqwa tagħha l-Ħamis 25/07. Din il-mewġa ta’ sħana kkaġunat nirien, waqqfet ajruplani u għamlet ħsarat fis-sistema tal-ferroviji, kif ukoll wasslet biex ingħalqu postijiet tax-xogħol u nħarġu twissijiet ta’ kwalita’ ta’ arja baxxa. Fi Franza, l-awtoritajiet avżaw lill-pubbliku biex kemm jista jkun ma joħorġux minn djarhom. L-arkitett li qed imexxi r-restawr tan-Notre-Dame wissa li s-sħana tista twassal biex ikompli jaqa dan il-katidral, jekk l-injam ikompli jinxef aktar. F’xi partijiet tal-Ġermanja, għexieren ta’ xmajjar u għadajjar nixfu kompletament. Fl-Olanda, mijiet ta’ ħnieżer mietu meta ventilatur fir-razzett li kienu qed jinżammu fih waqaf jaħdem. Sadattant, ferrovija tal-Eurostar minn Brussel sa Londra waqfet, bil-passiġġieri jispiċċaw maqbuda fuqha għal siegħat twal. Din il-mewġa ta’ sħana hija r-riżultat ta’ roqgħa ta’ pressjoni għolja fuq id-Danimarka u l-Iskandinavja. Din ġibdet arja sħuna ħafna minn l-Afrika ta’ fuq, il-Portugall u Spanja lejn il-majjistral ta’ l-Ewropa. Riżultat ta’ dan, it-temperatura telgħet u l-umdita għoliet. Dan wassal għal kundizzjonijiet perikolużi immens. Mewġa ta’ sħana intensa kienet ħakmet lill-istess inħawi f’Ġunju. Dakinhar, Franza rat temperatura rekord ta’ 46 C. Din id-darba, ġew miskura rekords oħrajn. Fil-Ġermanja, tkejjlet temperatura rekord ta’ 41.5 C fil-punent tal-pajjiż. B’temperatura ta’ 42.6 C, Pariġi esperjenza dik li kienet l-aktar ġurnata sħuna li qatt kienet imkejjla. Bl-ogħla ta’ 38.1 C f’Cambridge, it-temperatura fir-Renju Unit kienet 0.4 C anqas minn l-ogħla li qatt tkejjlet fil-pajjiż. L-Olanda wkoll kienet maħkuma temperaturi rekord, bl-ogħla f’Deelen tilħaq 42.9 C. Il-belt ta’ Kleine Brogel fil-Belġju messet 39.9 C, l-ogħla minn 1833.