The current heat wave is having devastating consequences for people in southern Europe. It's not just forests that are on fire, temperatures above 40 degrees are a life-threatening danger, especially for older people. Hundreds of people have already died in Spain and Portugal.
Since last Sunday, at least 360 people have died in the heat wave in Spain, with temperatures well over 40 degrees. This was reported by the newspaper "La Vanguardia", citing the Carlos III state health institute. in Madrid. The number of people dying every day as a result of the heat has increased from day to day.
On the first day, 15 such deaths were registered in the country with 47 million inhabitants. On Friday alone, when temperatures rose to 45 degrees, 123 people would have died. In most cases, the victims were people who were already weak because of their old age or a previous illness, the Spanish newspaper wrote.
On Friday, however, a 60-year-old street cleaning employee suddenly collapsed. Emergency doctors measured a body temperature of 41.6 degrees. The man was taken to a hospital, but died there.
In neighboring Portugal, with a good ten million inhabitants who are also suffering from a heat wave, 238 more deaths were counted between July 7th and 13th than in comparable periods in previous years, the Lusa news agency reported. These deaths would be attributed to the extreme heat.
The Spanish authorities urgently advise people to drink enough, to postpone particularly strenuous physical activities if possible and to only leave the house in the morning or evening hours. The coming days promise a little relief when temperatures are expected to fall below 40 degrees in many places. The heat and prolonged drought have also triggered numerous devastating forest fires in Spain and Portugal and other southern European holiday countries.
