Near the beginning of August, Europe sweltered in intense heat with temperatures hitting near-record highs of 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) in Portugal, while elsewhere high temperatures melted the asphalt or saw police dogs fitted with shoes.
In Portugal, the heat wave was expected to reach its peak on Saturday, August 4 with the city of Setubal not far from Lisbon due to reach highs of 46 C during the day.
“By way of comparison, this is not far off the 48 C expected in California’s notoriously parched and scorching Death Valley, one of the hottest places on earth… This comes a day after 16 weather stations in Portugal registered record temperatures including in Alcacer do Sal near Setubal, where the heat climbed to 45.9 C.
“Authorities in Lisbon have closed playgrounds and called on people to avoid picnics and outdoor activities.
“In southern Spain, the heat continued to pound down with the touristy city of Cordoba expected to reach 45 C. The heat has claimed the lives of three people.
“In Vienna, Austria, police dogs due to patrol a beach volleyball tournament were fitted with special little shoes. Police said that even if temperatures were not excruciatingly hot, reaching just 34 C on Saturday, the dogs will have to spend hours walking on surfaces exposed to the sun that could easily go over 50 C, hence the shoes.
“In the Netherlands, authorities had closed certain sections of highways where the heat had melted the asphalt. The central city of Zwolle, meanwhile, had started cutting the branches of some 100 poplar trees. Dutch public television NOS explained that branches could break due to the heat and create danger for drivers or passers-by.
“A total of four nuclear reactors in France have been closed due to the heat wave. French power company EDF said the measures were taken to avoid raising too high the temperature of rivers where nuclear plants draw water to cool down reactors and then pour it back in.
In Italy’s north, the “scorching heat beat down on cars while violent hailstorms were expected in the afternoon in the south.” In Rome, the annual heat waves have cause 7,700 deaths since 2000.
“Following its hottest July in 250 years, rain showers gave Sweden cooling relief across most of the country. The mercury fell to more typical summer temperatures of around 20-25 C.”
Will the seven last plagues be poured out soon? One of them is the heat of the sun.
“And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.” Revelation 16:19.