Runways Melt, Railways Warp... Infrastructure Damaged by European Heatwave

Soaring past 40 degrees Celsius, heatstroke and burns
Infrastructure damaged by heat leads to airport closures and train suspensions

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Bloomberg reported on the 18th (local time) that the record-breaking heatwave sweeping across Europe has reached the point of damaging social overhead capital (SOC) infrastructure.

According to the report, at Luton Airport in London, UK, and the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton, flights were suspended as runways melted and bulged due to abnormal high temperatures. Network Rail in the UK reported that railway tracks in central London were warped by the heatwave, leading to speed reductions or cancellations of some train services. The temperature on the railway tracks was reported to have exceeded 48 degrees Celsius.

British people are sharing posts on social networking services (SNS) warning that walking or leaving pets such as dogs outside in such weather can cause severe burns or heatstroke, potentially leading to death.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

While the situation in the relatively mild summer climate of the UK has worsened, damage in other regions is even more severe. According to foreign media such as AFP and AP, the western French city of Nantes reached 42 degrees Celsius on the day, breaking the previous record high of 40.3 degrees set in 1949. The western coastal cities of Brest and Saint-Brieuc also experienced hot weather exceeding 39 degrees. In the Gironde region, home to the wine-famous city of Bordeaux, wildfires continued to spread, displacing thousands of residents. Nearby villages of Miklos and Teste-de-Buch saw evacuations of about 5,000 and 3,000 people, respectively.

In Spain, temperatures soared up to 59 degrees Celsius. The heatwave lasting over a week in Spain has resulted in more than 510 deaths and multiple fires across the country. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who visited the fire sites, stated, "Climate change is killing people and destroying ecosystems and biodiversity."

Melanie Vogel, a French senator, warned on her SNS, "This is not just summer heat but hell," adding, "Without action on climate change, we will witness the end of human life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.