Conservationists in Hessen urge support for wildlife with water stations. Doctors warn of heat-related deaths among the elderly.
Amid the ongoing heat in Germany, conservationists call for special attention to wildlife. Josephin Bruhn of BUND Hessen recommends setting up shallow water bowls for animals such as hedgehogs and birds. Maik Sommerhage of NABU Hessen advises providing insects with landing spots using twigs or stones in water stations and cutting hedges only after the breeding season ends in late July.
Temperatures in Europe reach 35 to 41 degrees. Greenpeace measures ground temperatures up to 104 degrees Celsius in Rome. On Mont Blanc, slushy snow complicates mountain tours.
Doctors report heat-related deaths. Munich emergency physician Jörg Schmid says elderly people are slowly dehydrating in overheated apartments. The Robert Koch Institute recorded around 2500 heat-related deaths last year. Researchers from World Weather Attribution view the current heatwave as nearly impossible without climate change.