Europe awaits a heat wave that is expected to kill large numbers of people

The European continent is awaiting a scorching heat wave that is expected to cause a large number of deaths, amid expectations that temperatures will record high levels that have never been witnessed in the European continent, which necessitated the authorities in more than one European country to issue warnings to the population to exercise caution and beware of the upcoming deadly heat wave. Which is expected to hit several countries in Europe.

These warnings come days after the disclosure of a study that showed that the severe heat wave that Europe faced last year caused the death of more than 61 thousand people, which means that the next heat wave, which is expected to be more severe, may lead to a greater number of deaths.

Reports published by the British press, seen by Al Arabiya Net, said that the authorities in Italy expect temperatures to reach 48.8 degrees Celsius, thus setting an unprecedented record, and that the temperature may exceed 40 degrees Celsius in other European countries.

Authorities in several European countries have already issued a number of red alerts as the temperature rises, while disturbing news revealed the death of a man in his forties in northern Italy from the extreme heat.

Local media in Britain and Europe hastened to publish warnings of the expected heat wave, and the widely circulated newspaper (Metro) in London addressed the readers through a report in which it said that “those exposed to heat waves face very serious diseases.”

In the context of its awareness report, the newspaper said, “There are two main mechanisms the body uses to keep cool. The first is vasodilation, where small blood vessels, or capillaries, expand just under the skin. This exposes more blood to the surface.”

As for the second mechanism – according to the newspaper – it is through sweating, which draws heat from the skin as it evaporates, yet sweat contains salts that are vital in muscle movement, and this means that if the body sweats without the salts being compensated, this can lead to Muscle spasm.

Doctors say these two measures help maintain an internal body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, known as thermoregulation. However, when outside temperatures exceed this level it becomes difficult for the body’s systems to prevent a rise in core temperature. This can lead to a feeling of heat exhaustion, in addition to heavy sweating, as well as feeling faint or dizzy, and this can also lead to a weak and rapid pulse, as every 0.5 ° C rise in core body temperature leads to a rise in the heart rate by about a tenth. strokes per minute.

“Anyone experiencing these symptoms should stop all activity, rest completely, move to a cooler place and drink water or a sports drink,” the newspaper says.

“If the core body temperature continues to rise above 40°C, the third and final illness is heatstroke. This is the most severe form of heat stress and can be fatal.”

It is noteworthy that a new study published at the beginning of this week showed that more than 61 thousand people died in Europe, due to high temperatures during the summer of last year, which broke the record, and the study called for more efforts to be made to protect from the most deadly heat waves expected in the years. coming.