Europe heat wave to persist into next week, will likely cause deaths: WMO

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Europe’s temperatures may remain above normal into the middle of next week and could result in deaths, especially among vulnerable populations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Tuesday.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said he expected more deaths among the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions as a result of the heat wave. He also warned that the temperatures could have “major impacts” on the continent's agricultural output.

“We’ll already have this global food crisis because of (the) war in Ukraine; this heat wave is going to have (a) further negative impact on agricultural activities,’ he warned.

The World Meteorological Organization also warned that record-breaking heat waves could happen more frequently in the future, adding that the temperatures in Europe should be a “wake-up call” to governments.