The European heatwave has shifted eastward, raising concerns about record temperatures in Germany, while a political dispute regarding air conditioning has erupted in France.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French far-right, has used the heatwave to her advantage in advance of the 2027 presidential election, announcing that she would introduce a comprehensive “grand plan for air conditioning” for the country if elected.
In parliament, Le Pen, who represents the Pas-de-Calais region in northern France, argued that “air conditioning saves lives.” She criticized the situation in France, stating that public services “are unable to function because of a lack of air conditioning, unlike dozens of countries across the world.”
Éric Ciotti, a Le Pen supporter, has submitted a parliamentary bill calling for “obligatory air conditioning” in essential public areas.
Compared to neighboring countries like Italy, France has a smaller proportion of public spaces and private residences with air conditioning. According to Ademe, the national environment agency, 25% of French homes had air conditioning in 2020, up from 14% in 2016.
The government has rebuked the far-right for being ignorant and “incompetent” by suggesting that air conditioning is a solution to the climate crisis. Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher pointed out that air-conditioned spaces in elderly care homes have been mandatory in France for the past 20 years. While emphasizing the importance of protecting vulnerable people from the heat, she cautioned against “installing air conditioning everywhere” due to its contribution to rising outdoor temperatures and its overall unsuitability as a solution.
Marine Tondelier, the Green leader, criticized Le Pen’s environmental policy for being limited to “buying air conditioning units.” Tondelier advocated for progress in creating urban green spaces and implementing proper building insulation.
Meanwhile, Europe is still contending with a harmful heatwave that has resulted in record-breaking temperatures and numerous deaths.
In Spain, regional police officers from Catalonia, known as the Mossos d’Esquadra, are investigating the deaths of two farm workers whose remains were discovered on Tuesday by firefighters fighting a wildfire near Coscó in Lleida province. The wildfire has burned through 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) in the north-eastern Spanish region, prompting authorities to issue stay-at-home orders for 18,000 residents.
Salvador Illa, the regional president, urged people to exercise extra caution and avoid underestimating the speed and severity of wildfires.
“These fires aren’t like the ones we used to have,” he said on Wednesday. “When you find out how they evolve, you get goose bumps. There are really dangerous fires.” On the same day, a young boy died, apparently from heatstroke, after being left in a car in the Catalan province of Tarragona on Tuesday.
France’s energy minister has reported two heatwave-linked deaths, with 300 people admitted to hospitals this week.
In northern Italy, a 70-year-old lorry driver was found dead inside his vehicle, marking a possible third death related to the heatwave in the country.
The man was discovered shortly after 6.30am on Wednesday, parked at a motorway rest area between Sirmione and Peschiera del Garda, in the province of Brescia.
Elsewhere in Italy, traffic lights malfunctioned, people were trapped in elevators, and shops were forced to close early following power outages on Tuesday afternoon, attributed in part to the continuous use of air conditioning and fans, which strained the electrical grids.
According to the energy provider Enel, the blackouts were also due to overheating underground electrical cables. In Florence, the city’s historic center was affected, leading to the evacuation of the La Rinascente department store as a precautionary measure. A sign reading: “Black out, see you tomorrow morning at 10am,” was visible on a shop window across from Florence’s cathedral. Several neighborhoods in Rome, Milan, Genoa, and Bergamo experienced hours-long power outages.
Italy’s health ministry issued a maximum red alert for heat in 18 cities on Wednesday, indicating that the intense heat poses a risk even for young and healthy individuals. The extreme temperatures are projected to persist until at least the weekend.
The heat is starting to significantly impact the country’s agricultural sector, causing damage to fruits and vegetables, stressing livestock, and exacerbating an existing drought crisis in the southern region.
Coldiretti, Italy’s largest farmers’ association, reports early signs of damage from north to south, ranging from blistered melons in Tuscany to milk shortages in Lombardy and water rationing in Sicily.
As the heatwave continued toward the east on Wednesday, Germany anticipated some of the year’s highest temperatures. Temperatures were expected to soar near 40C across much of the country, with the potential to surpass Germany’s all-time record of 41.2C, set in July 2019.
Due to drought-like conditions, over 40 German districts have imposed restrictions on water use, affecting farmers and gardeners. Numerous municipalities are also urging residents to conserve water.
In Brandenburg state, surrounding Berlin, two forest fires erupted on Tuesday. High temperatures and buried munitions hampered firefighters’ efforts, but the situation was brought under control by the evening.
