Europe’s fifth heatwave of the year looks set to peak today, with the region’s economy facing increasing pressure.
Temperatures in parts of Germany and France are expected to top 38℃, or 100℉. The heat has hit energy supplies: Romania began disconnecting its sole functioning nuclear reactor from the grid because of record low levels of water in the Danube, while a fifth of France’s nuclear capacity is offline.
Europe’s tourism-dependent economies are also worried about the fallout — Roman restaurants and bars reported falling sales last month — while reinsurance giant Swiss Re warned in a report that rising temperatures on the continent will “reduce agricultural productivity, strain water and energy systems, damage infrastructure, and lower labor productivity.”