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Damian Carrington, The Guardian
On its frontpage, the Guardian reports that scientists say the heatwave in western Europe is the “most severe and widespread ever” and is “only possible due to the climate crisis driven by fossil fuel burning”. This is according to new analysis from the World Weather Attribution service, the article explains, which finds: “As recently as 2003, a heatwave like the current one in Europe would have been 2C cooler due to the lower level of global heating at the time. In 1976, another famous heatwave year, it would have been 3.5C cooler.” The newspaper adds that the scientists have also found that “almost half of Europe’s 850 largest cities” are also enduring their “worst-ever heat stress”, from a combination of temperature and humidity. CNN reports that the scientists said that the heat would have been “virtually impossible” just a few decades ago and that human-caused climate change is “unequivocally to blame”. The Associated Press, Bloomberg, New York Times, Politico and Reuters also cover the analysis. [See below for more on the heatwave and its impact.]
Le Monde
A French court has ordered oil and gas giant TotalEnergies to account for the emissions from the use of its products by clients, reports Le Monde. The case, brought by climate NGOs and the city of Paris, “fell short” of imposing measures demanded by the plaintiffs, including a halt in new fossil fuel projects and cuts in oil and gas production, it continues. Reuters explains that TotalEnergies has been ordered to “disclose the climate risks” linked to its products and “set about plans to mitigate them”. It continues that the case is a “partial victory” for “climate-change NGOs” seeking to apply France's 2017 corporate duty of vigilance law to climate change. The Guardian reports that the court determined the company’s vigilance plan was “incomplete” and gave it six months to amend it to include emissions from end users. The Associated Press, Bloomberg, Climate Home News, Euractiv and Financial Times all have the story.
MORE ON LITIGATION
Datacentres are facing an increase in climate-related legal cases around the world, according to an analysis from the London School of Economics covered by the Guardian. Reuters reports that California has sought a court order to block the federal government’s reversal of state vehicle emission rules. Utility Dive: “California to sue Trump administration over offshore wind buybacks.”
Peter Chappell and Tash Mosheim, The Times
The UK had its “hottest June day” – again – on Thursday when temperatures of 36.7C were recorded in Somerset, reports the Times. It says the new record for the month “beat the high set on Wednesday”, as well as a record set in 1976. It continues that on Wednesday, the UK experienced its warmest June night on record, with temperatures in Cardiff not falling below 23.5C, exceeding the previous record of 22.7C set in 1976. The BBC News notes on its live blog that, yesterday, England “broke its record twice in one day”, Wales recorded its hottest June day and Scotland and Northern Ireland both recorded their hottest day of the year so far. The i newspaper covers the heat record on its frontpage, where it notes that more than 1,200 schools are shut.
Meanwhile, BBC News reports that the London Ambulance Service (LAS) saw its “highest ever” number of life-threatening emergencies. Crews responded to a record 642 “category one” calls on Wednesday before the record was broken again yesterday, it says. The Independent quotes LAS chief executive Jason Killens as saying the record had been “driven by the extreme heat”. The Guardian looks at how the extreme heat is affecting hospitals in England, noting that doctors have pointed to “radiotherapy machines and MRI scanners failing, critical IT systems stalling and cooling units that serve entire hospitals breaking down”. The hot weather has also prompted a “surge in admissions and people arriving at A&E, causing severe overcrowding in some places”, it continues, adding that several NHS trusts have “declared critical incidents”.
MORE ON UK HEAT
The heatwave has been linked to wildfires in the Peak District by the Daily Mail and in a frontpage picture story in the Times, as well as a “grassland blaze” in Worcestershire, according to BBC News. The Times: “Restaurants close, cut menus and turn off fryers to beat heatwave.” In a frontpage story, the Daily Telegraph says farmers are “scrambling to salvage this year’s pea harvest” as the heatwave puts “extreme pressure” on crops. The Metro covers London mayor Sadiq Khan’s proposals for preparing London for extreme heat on its frontpage. The Independent rounds up demands from scientists, MPs and “infrastructure experts” that the government take action to upgrade buildings and transport links in the face of rising temperatures. With “several gas-fired power plants” and four of the UK’s 10 nuclear reactors “switched off for summer maintenance”, the UK paid “17 times more” to import energy from Europe for an hour on Wednesday evening, says the Daily Telegraph.
Kenza Bryan and Steven Bernard, Financial Times
The Financial Times reports on how the heatwave is unfolding across Europe. It notes that temperatures neared 41C in Paris, where “heat-absorbing zinc rooftops” have caused temperatures in apartment buildings to “soar further”. Some areas of France have seen night-time temperatures of 30C, it continues, adding that “tropical nights” that do not fall below 20C make it harder for the human body to recover from heat stress. France’s prime minister Sébastien Lecornu reportedly told mayors yesterday that financing would “double” for building work on hospitals including protecting them from extreme heat, according to the newspaper. It notes that the “heatwave is moving east across Europe” and is expected to peak in Germany at the weekend at 41C, adding that Austria’s weather agency has warned Vienna could hit a record 40C.
Meanwhile, Euronews reports that France's state-owned energy giant EDF has temporarily shut down two nuclear reactors as a precautionary environmental measure, as the country grapples with a record-breaking heatwave that has “already turned deadly”. Le Monde notes the country is “on track” towards a “severe summer drought”. Politico says the heatwave has “thrust climate change to the forefront of the national debate ahead of next year’s presidential election” and is forcing the far-right National Rally party to “confront its previous efforts to downplay the issue”.
MORE ON EUROPE HEAT
In a frontpage story, the Financial Times reports that electricity prices are soaring across Europe amid the heatwave. Reuters reports on how the European heatwave is driving an air-conditioning sales boom for Asian manufacturers. Euractiv: “Record heat tests Europe's healthcare systems.” The Netherlands has issued its first ever “code red” for extreme heat, according to Dutch News, while Reuters reports on “concerns” over milk and meat production in Belgium. The Press Association: “Weather warnings for whole island of Ireland as new record temperature possible.” The European Green Party has called for an emergency EU leaders summit over extreme heat, says Politico.
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