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Extreme weather conditions have hit Europe with record-high temperatures causing deaths in south-eastern Europe while heavy rainfall in northern Europe leads to major floods in some parts of the UK.

Around 500 people have died in Hungary in the past week alone, which has seen a daily mean temperature of 30C across the country, while the temperature reached a record high of 41.9C in the southern city of Kiskunhalas.

The deaths - from 15 to 22 July - were caused by heatstroke, cardiovascular problems and other illnesses aggravated by the heat – mainly among the older population, said Anna Paldy, from the Hungarian National Institute of Environmental Health, according to BBC News.

The heat wave has also hit Austria, Romania - where at least 30 people have died – and has also been blamed for widespread forest fires in Greece, Italy, Macedonia and Serbia.

Temperatures hit a historic 43C in Belgrade, 44C in Bulgaria and 45C in Bosnia and Macedonia, according to press reports. The Greek government has urged people to restrict their movements and stay indoors.

It is the second heat wave in the southeast European region this year where record temperatures in June have already ensured that this is the hottest summer in Greece for a century.

In northwest Europe the extreme weather conditions are also creating chaos although with limited numbers of deaths.

Heavy rainfall in the region where overflowing rivers have caused severe flooding in the UK and southern Germany

Days of rain have turned swathes of central and western England into lakes, flooding 4,500 houses, threatening many more and leaving cars submerged. Hundreds of thousands have been without drinking water and electricity.

"We are coming to terms with some of the issues surrounding climate change," UK prime minister Gordon Brown said recently about his country's floods, which are the worst seen in the last 60 years.

Last week, EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas urged member states to treat water as a scarce commodity as the warming trend, and accompanying droughts, will rise in southeast Europe.

Droughts have increased during the past 30 years and cost the European economy at least €100 billion, according to EU data.

The European Commission on Tuesday (24 July) released its annual crop yield forecast for Europe, saying that the 2007 total cereal harvest will be 1,6 percent below the average of the last five years with Central and Eastern Europe losing out the most.

Heat waves, droughts and excessive rain across Europe has been a great factor to this result, the EU executive said.


THE HANDSTAND	AUGUST 2007
Extreme weather conditions hit Europe 25.07.2007 - 09:29 CET \| By Helena Spongenberg Extreme weather conditions have hit Europe with record-high temperatures causing deaths in south-eastern Europe while heavy rainfall in northern Europe leads to major floods in some parts of the UK. Around 500 people have died in Hungary in the past week alone, which has seen a daily mean temperature of 30C across the country, while the temperature reached a record high of 41.9C in the southern city of Kiskunhalas. The deaths - from 15 to 22 July - were caused by heatstroke, cardiovascular problems and other illnesses aggravated by the heat – mainly among the older population, said Anna Paldy, from the Hungarian National Institute of Environmental Health, according to BBC News. The heat wave has also hit Austria, Romania - where at least 30 people have died – and has also been blamed for widespread forest fires in Greece, Italy, Macedonia and Serbia. Temperatures hit a historic 43C in Belgrade, 44C in Bulgaria and 45C in Bosnia and Macedonia, according to press reports. The Greek government has urged people to restrict their movements and stay indoors. It is the second heat wave in the southeast European region this year where record temperatures in June have already ensured that this is the hottest summer in Greece for a century. In northwest Europe the extreme weather conditions are also creating chaos although with limited numbers of deaths. Heavy rainfall in the region where overflowing rivers have caused severe flooding in the UK and southern Germany Days of rain have turned swathes of central and western England into lakes, flooding 4,500 houses, threatening many more and leaving cars submerged. Hundreds of thousands have been without drinking water and electricity. "We are coming to terms with some of the issues surrounding climate change," UK prime minister Gordon Brown said recently about his country's floods, which are the worst seen in the last 60 years. Last week, EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas urged member states to treat water as a scarce commodity as the warming trend, and accompanying droughts, will rise in southeast Europe. Droughts have increased during the past 30 years and cost the European economy at least €100 billion, according to EU data. The European Commission on Tuesday (24 July) released its annual crop yield forecast for Europe, saying that the 2007 total cereal harvest will be 1,6 percent below the average of the last five years with Central and Eastern Europe losing out the most. Heat waves, droughts and excessive rain across Europe has been a great factor to this result, the EU executive said. © 2007 EUobserver, All rights reserved

Extreme weather conditions hit Europe