Extreme heat sparks health warnings as wildfires continue

Health warnings are in place in parts of Europe, Asia and North America as heat waves and wildfires continued on Wednesday.

Rome recorded its hottest day ever on Tuesday at 42.9 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit), while Beijing broke a 23-year-old record with 27 consecutive days of temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.

Unprecedented heat was also recorded in southern France, Spain's Catalonia region, and the US state of Arizona.

The World Meteorological Agency (WMO) said the trend showed "no signs of decreasing."

"These events will continue to grow in intensity, and the world needs to prepare for more intense heat waves," John Nairn, a senior extreme heat adviser at the WMO, told reporters in Geneva. 

Wildfires rage in Greece

Greek firefighting spokesperson Yannis Artopios said Wednesday was "a difficult day" as emergency services continued to battle wildfires that broke out on Monday.

At dawn on Wednesday, water bombers resumed operations over the town of Mandra, west of Athens, and the town of Loutraki, near Corinth.

Three villages and a hotel on the island of Rhodes were evacuated after a third fire broke out later in the day.

Four aircraft from France and Italy joined the firefighting efforts on Wednesday, with two additional aircraft to be supplied by Israel on Thursday.

Firefighting teams Poland, Romania and Slovakia are due to arrive in Greece on Thursday.

Tinderbox conditions around Greece have put the country on edge. A second heat wave is forecast for Thursday, with temperatures of up to 44 degrees Celsius.

"Conditions are extreme, and are likely to be so for another week," Kostas Tsigas, head of the fire brigade officers' association, told SKAI TV.

Elderly urged to stay indoors in Beijing 

Sustained high temperatures in Beijing have led to the city government to urge the elderly to stay indoors. Children have also been asked to shorten their playtime outside amid the heat. 

A weather station in Beijing said the temperatures Wednesday in the southern parts of the city measured 36.3 degrees Celsius. 

US climate envoy John Kerry is currently in the Chinese capital to discuss the climate crisis with his counterpart, Xie Zhenhua.  The two countries are seeking greater cooperation on the issue despite differences on multiple fronts such as Taiwan and the economy. 

In the northwestern province of Xinjiang, farmers have been called on to water and irrigate their crops more to protect them from the sun's heat. Xinjiang is a major global producer of cotton.

Heat waves spark health warnings

Hans Kulge, director of the World Health Organization's regional office in Europe, warned that heat waves could be deadly without the right preparations.

"As we adapt to this new normal, with its devastating effects on health and well-being, it's vital we are all armed with knowledge that could help save lives," Kluge said.

He advised people to avoid strenuous activities during the midday heat and to keep homes cool by drawing blinds during the day and opening windows at night.

Health and weather authorities around the world issued warnings and enacted different measures to keep people safe during the heat.

The southern French city of Marseille opened public swimming pools free of charge on Wednesday, with temperatures predicted to hit 38 degrees Celsius (100.5 degrees Fahrenheit).

Meanwhile, in the Italian capital of Rome, 28 health centers have opened to provide drinking water and shade.

The head of the Italian Society of Environmental Doctors, Alessandro Miani, warned that deaths due to heat waves most commonly affect people over age 80.

"The excessive heat together with humidity can make difficult for sweat to evaporate, interfering with the body's ability to regulate its own temperature," Miani said.

It was a similar message in the US. In the town of San Angelo, Texas, where temperatures were forecast to reach 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit), the National Weather Service said it was "running out of ways to say that it's gonna be hot out there today."

"We implore you to continue to practice heat safety and try to stay cool," the agency said on Twitter.

The WHO's Europe director stressed that action on climate change should be "championed by all sides of the political spectrum" to minimize similar heat waves in the future.

"Beyond adapting to our new reality this summer, we must look to the years and decades ahead," Kluge said. 

zc/sms (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP)