Europe heatwave highlights: As Europe boils, US braces for extreme heatwave around July 4 holiday

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Europe heatwave LIVE: Last week's unprecedented heatwave led to around 480 excess deaths in the Netherlands, Dutch health authorities said on Thursday.

Most of the excess deaths recorded between June 22 and 28 were among people aged 80 and above, according to the authorities.

The highest number of deaths was reported in the southern and eastern parts of the country, where temperatures were the most extreme.

Europe heatwave LIVE: As Spain reels under successive heatwaves that claimed more than 1,000 excess lives in June, Barcelona has begun distributing heat-monitoring bracelets to outdoor workers as an early warning system against heat-related health risks.

The city has rolled out around 1,400 bracelets for employees who work outdoors, including street cleaners, lighting crews, park workers and waste management staff.

Europe heatwave LIVE: A powerful storm swept across Romania overnight into Wednesday, killing one person and triggering widespread flooding in the capital, Bucharest, and 20 counties after an intense heatwave.

The torrential rain inundated 60 localities, prompting emergency crews to pump water out of more than 350 homes and 100 streets, according to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU).

Europe heatwave LIVE: Firefighters battled multiple wind-driven wildfires across southern France on Thursday as authorities warned that dry conditions left behind by Europe's recent heatwave continued to fuel the spread of flames.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said three major fires, including two that broke out on the western outskirts of the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, had burned a combined 1,210 hectares (12.1 million square metres).

Europe heatwave LIVE: Hundreds of shoppers thronged Lidl supermarkets in and around Paris on Thursday, with scuffles and shouting matches breaking out as residents rushed to buy discounted air-cooling units ahead of the next forecast heatwave.

Police were called to at least two stores after large crowds gathered to purchase the budget cooling units, which were being sold for as little as 179 euros.

The rush comes as air conditioners available elsewhere typically cost upwards of 1,200 euros ($1,400), making the Lidl offer especially attractive amid soaring summer temperatures.

(AFP)

US Fourth of July LIVE: A ceremony featuring a live virtual address from the pope has been moved indoors, and officials have reduced hours for the city’s World Cup Fan Festival ahead of Saturday’s match between Paraguay and France, CNN reported

Europe heatwave LIVE: According to the study published Friday by World Weather Attribution, the raging heatwave in Europe, which would have been “virtually impossible” just a few decades ago, is to be blamed on human-driven climate crisis.

To calculate the role climate change played in these extremes, WWA scientists used real-world and forecast data to analyse the three hottest days and nights of this heat wave across a huge section of Europe, comparing the likelihood of similar extremes during past major heat wave years of 1976 and 2003, when the Earth was cooler, CNN reported.

They found both the daytime highs and nighttime temperatures during this period would have been “virtually impossible” 50 years ago, in 1976, when some of the previous European heat records were set.

US Fourth of July LIVE: Philadelphia has declared a Heat Health Emergency through Saturday evening and shortened the route for its July 4 parade, CNN reported.

US Fourth of July LIVE: As heatwave grapples the United States, many cities, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Raleigh, North Carolina, are opening cooling centers and expanding public resources as the dangerous heat settles in, CNN reported.

Europe heatwave LIVE: France has emerged as one of the hardest-hit countries during the latest spell of extreme weather. According to AFP, the country experienced five days of unusually high temperatures in May, followed by a record 11-day heatwave in June that has been linked to at least 1,000 deaths.

The United Kingdom, Hungary, Slovakia, and Croatia are also battling the heatwave, with temperatures ranging from 35°C to 42°C.

Extreme temperatures have led to closure of schools, triggered water shortages and disruptions to infrastructure. Social media has also been flooded with videos showing people reportedly frying eggs and bacon on pans left under the blazing sun.

Europe heatwave LIVE: More than 1,300 people have died across Europe due to severe heatwaves, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), as the continent continues to grapple with record-breaking temperatures. French health officials reported around 1,000 more deaths than expected since Wednesday alone, according to AFP.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on X said, "more than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded since 21 June linked to high temperatures in Europe"

"Heat stress is often called the 'silent killer' - and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures," he added.

Europe heatwave LIVE: As Europe battles scorching heat, a dangerous heatwave is spreading across the US East Coast as millions prepare for Fourth of July celebrations. While parts of the Midwest experienced record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday, the most severe heat is expected to move into the Interstate 95 corridor on Thursday and Friday, according to CNN.

Temperatures are forecast to reach the upper 90s and low 100s from Washington, DC, to Boston, while high humidity could push the "feels like" temperature to 110°F or higher.