An aging population is making things even harder. Older people are more vulnerable to extreme heat because their bodies struggle to regulate temperature, and many already deal with underlying health conditions that make complications far more likely.
Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, told Politico that the continent is still not prepared for what has become a recurring crisis. He said extreme heat is still being handled like a passing weather event, even though it has clearly become a long-term public health emergency.
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On a more everyday level, people are doing whatever they can to get through it. In France, some have taken to swimming in city canals, while in Berlin, police turned water cannons into makeshift sprinklers to help people on the streets cool off. Even zoo animals across the continent are being given blocks of ice to play with.
Hopefully these brutal temperatures will ease up soon and governments across Europe will take this as a wake-up call. It’s really tough out there right now. Stay hydrated and wear sunscreen. And try to keep out of the sun however you can.
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