Europe swelters in record spring heatwave

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*Perilous Times and Global Warming

Europe swelters in record spring heatwave
*
PARIS, April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2007

Much of western Europe is seeing record temperatures for April which has
led to a growing drought threat in many countries.

With temperatures in northern France well into the upper 20s Celsius
(70s Fahrenheit), the average is more than 10 degrees Celsius (15
degrees Fahrenheit) above normal for April, according to Meteo France,
the national weather office.

Belgium is having its hottest April since 1830, Germany is having record
amounts of sunshine for April and the British Met Office said the first
23 days of the month were the warmest since 1945.

France is at the centre of what weather experts have called
"exceptional" circumstances with an anti-cyclone over eastern Europe and
a depression over Spain sending hot air from Africa up the middle
regions of Europe.

"We are getting about 11 hours of sunshine a day, practically double the
average," said Michel Daloz, a Meteo France expert. "At the same time
there has not been a drop of rain over most of France since the start of
the month."

The southeastern city of Lyon has regularly been hitting 30 degrees
Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) and is having its hottest April on record.

The British capital has beaten a 1951 record for the amount of sunshine
in April.

Experts and farmers are now worrying about drought this summer. "The
forecast is for warmer weather in coming months and that is not a good
sign," said Daloz.

The Netherlands has not had rainfall for 33 days, another record,
authorities in southern France are worried that water levels are
seriously below normal, and in Italy there is already a drought alert
which could lead to power shortages this summer.

A drought alert in Spain was recently lifted though after a lot of
spring rainfall.

Amid growing fears over global warming, Experts say average temperatures
have already risen 0.74 degrees Celsius over the past century and
predict that they will rise another four degrees Celsius by the end of
this century.