Here’s Why France Faced The Wrath Of The Summer Heatwave

Here’s a matter of fact. It’s not that the summer heatwave in France hasn’t occurred before. It’s also not that hundreds and thousands hadn’t been affected by the summer heat before. But truth be told, this time around, the weather, in turn, proved a great anomaly, a huge disappointer in all of Europe.

And to that end, the Summer heatwave of France cut a barren and morose figure for the locals. It was as if the inhabitants of a great landmass were left charred by a mega ball of fire.

The summer heatwave in France affected the country the most when compared to the other European nations (remember, the continent is 44-country strong) as explained sufficiently by a simple statement of statistics.

It turned out that the Summer heatwave of France killed around 1,500 individuals. If that’s not a worrying statistic, then one wonders, just what will it be.

For a continent known to excite travelers and locals with a dash of cool climate and natural pleasantness unfound in the other parts of the world, during the intense summer months of the ongoing year, Europe, it appeared, was some sort of a blast furnace with those stuck in it, helpless not knowing what to do or where to go.

Leading English newspaper The Guardian reported more on the matter and shared the following insights on a subject that has gone on to generate tremendous news everywhere in the world:

The toll was significantly lower than the disastrous summer of 2003, when an estimated 15,000 people died during an August heatwave.

This year’s heatwaves hit France in June and July, with a new record temperature of 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded in the south on 28 June.

While the 2003 heatwave lasted 20 days in all, this year’s lasted for 18, in two separate heatwaves, the second covering a large part of France, Buzyn added.

The authorities’ preventive measures helped keep the death rate well below the high numbers experienced in 2003, she added. The 2003 heatwave was the deadliest recorded in France, with the central and Paris regions hardest hit.

But the above told, what’s most surprising is that it took just two heatwaves to kill as many as 1500 individuals; a huge number when you think of it.

If there was a month where living (or leading) a normal life became harder than expected, the locals not knowing where to go or how to normalize things, then it appears, that month was June. But while surely summer heatwaves are but an offshoot of the constant spoilings of the climate change phenomenon, one’s not really sure if enough is being done to normalize situations.

Who knows, 2020 could, in fact, bring harsher temperatures where the going gets tougher than expected? The question will then be- how will much of Europe cope with unexpected weather changes, not just France? Therefore, among the most important agendas for all of the EU, at this point in time, has to be to find a concerted means to end the climate change menace before more lives are lost to the changing vagaries of hostile weather.