A deadly heatwave is tightening its grip on Europe, sending temperatures soaring toward record levels and forcing authorities across the continent to close schools, cancel public events and even restrict alcohol consumption.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The most extreme conditions were hitting millions in France, Spain, and Britain on Tuesday, where temperatures kept climbing to exceptionally high levels for early summer.The scorching heat caused widespread disruptions to public transport and raised alarm in areas of western Europe where air conditioning is not widespread.Add NBC News to GoogleSevere Storms and Extreme Heat Slam the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic02:43It’s just the latest unseasonably intense period of high temperatures to raise fears about the effects of climate change.
And for many in Europe, this new reality is becoming impossible to ignore.Pamela Clapp, a 39-year-old American who has lived in Paris for 14 years, told NBC News she was “very worried about the next couple of days.” This summer feels different from those she has experienced before, she said.France has placed more than half of its regions under a red heat alert, the highest level, with national weather service Meteo-France assessing that temperatures remained “exceptionally high” on Tuesday.
A day earlier the country endured its hottest June day on record — based on average day-and-night calculations — with the temperature in the central village of Chateaumeillant reaching as high as 43.3C (109.9 Fahrenheit).At least 40 people have drowned as residents flocked to beaches, rivers and lakes to escape the heat, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said ahead of an emergency meeting on the subject.Hundreds of schools have been closed across France and other countries in the region.A crowded Metro carriage during a heatwave in Paris on Monday.Gaulthier Bedrignans / Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images“The governmen...