Picture: BLOOMBERG
After deadly forest fires in Portugal and Spain, extreme northern hemisphere summer weather caused the water level of the Rhine, Europe’s most important river, to drop further, risking deliveries of coal and oil to power stations and industrial plants in Germany. Amid concern over food shortages from Russia’s war in Ukraine, the development of crops such as maize have been affected, causing Paris futures to rally 10% since the start of July.. Trains on London’s Central and Northern lines were measured by Bloomberg on Monday morning at more than 30°C, the maximum temperature for transporting livestock such as cows, pigs and goats, according to UK regulations.
About a third of British rail services were not running, and those that did faced restrictions due to the heat, Network Rail spokesperson Kevin Groves said. That means a journey from London to York would take four-and-a-half hours, more than double its normal time. Some companies in Britain have let employees stay home to avoid heated commutes and stifling workplaces. Gymshark, which makes workout wear and employs almost 700 people in the UK, gave staff Friday and Monday off, calling it a reward for good performance. Similarly, Blackburn-based drinks exporter Sovereign Beverage also extended its weekend break to Monday.The heat wave killed 360 people dead in Spain between July 10 and 15, Instituto de Salud Carlos III said on Saturday.
In Spain, at least two people died because of the fires, according to authorities in the Castilla y Leon region. The body of a 69-year-old male was found on Monday in a burnt area in the province of Zamora, and a volunteer firefighter died on Sunday as he was helping extinguish a blaze in the same region.Italy is also bracing for temperatures as high as 40°C later this week, including in the financial capital Milan.