Switzerland Hits New Record Of 107F - Northern Europe May Cool

[hatrack]

Record setting heat wave kills nearly 150 and sets off devastating fires across Europe
by Pamela Sampson
8/13/03

PARIS - "Some French vintners started their earliest harvests ever Tuesday, and a fire near a railroad station in Germany delayed trains - some of the latest difficulties Europe faces as a deadly heat wave scorches the continent.

The temperature in Switzerland set a record, the Swiss Meteorological Office said Tuesday. In eastern Switzerland, the mercury hit 107 on Monday, easily topping the previous high of 102 set in 1952.

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The head of France's emergency hospital physicians' association said at least 100 people in France alone have died of heat-related illnesses since a stifling blanket of hot air settled over Europe.

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Patrick Pelloux called on the Red Cross and even the army to lend a hand to medical facilities stretched to their limits."

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St. Louis Post-Dispatch