Heat Wave in W. Europe: Unexpected twist to the sanctions war against Russia

In Europe they were worried about the effect of Russia sanctions on heating in Europe's upcoming winter. They didn't think about the summer. 

"Weather watchers in the U.K. have been more focused on how cold it might get in winter with energy bills due to jump again in October and exacerbating an already painful cost-of-living crisis. ... The heat is set to put added strain on a U.K. energy system that’s already under pressure from soaring natural gas prices. London office buildings will be ramping up electricity demand to keep workers cool.:

Scorching summer heat wave throws Britain into more chaos | The Spokesman-Review - July 16

By Will Mathis, Charlotte Ryan and Deirdre HipwellBloomberg News
LONDON – After strikes, transport disruption, soaring inflation, a jump in COVID-19 infections and the resignation of its prime minister, now the sweltering summer is about to add to the havoc in the U.K.
The Met Office issued its most severe warning for next week, with temperatures set to rise above 95 Fahrenheit in parts of England, including London, and they might hit national records exceeding 104 F. The red alert, with potential power outages, canceled flights, and a danger to life was triggered for the first time and is in place for Monday and Tuesday. 
The government convened an emergency Cobra meeting on Saturday to prepare contingency plans for the heat wave. Transport for London advised customers to travel only if necessary.

It all added to the chaos in a nation that’s grappling with messy politics and a wilting economy. While supermarkets expect ice cream sales to also reach records and coastal resorts welcome people to cool down, the custodians of the U.K.’s infrastructure are flagging the worst-case scenarios.

The electricity infrastructure is straining under the heat and as cooling systems ramp up, a lack of wind is reducing supplies. The railway network, which in the past has seen cables snap and tracks buckle, is reducing speed on services. The National Health Service is concerned hospitals already overwhelmed will see a spike in patients suffering from the heat.

“In this country, we’re used to treating a hot spell as a chance to go and play in the sun,” said Penny Endersby, the Met Office’s chief executive officer. “This is not that sort of weather.”

Searing temperatures across Europe have crippled agriculture in France, forced Spain to cut water supply in some regions and triggered a state of emergency in parts of Italy. While more drastic this year, increasingly hot summers aren’t as unusual as they are in Britain. Greece, for example, regularly experiences deadly wildfires.

Weather watchers in the U.K. have been more focused on how cold it might get in winter with energy bills due to jump again in October and exacerbating an already painful cost-of-living crisis.

The U.K. had taken a break from images of canceled trains, hours-long lines at airports and missing luggage to watch Prime Minister Boris Johnson announce his resignation following a series of scandals involving his conduct. The news this week has been dominated by the race to replace him – but also the weather.

The latest warning is an escalation from forecasts in recent days, when the Met Office expected next week’s temperatures could likely reach the high 80s.

The heat is set to put added strain on a U.K. energy system that’s already under pressure from soaring natural gas prices. London office buildings will be ramping up electricity demand to keep workers cool.

That could increase the load on some grid infrastructure that’s not able to transmit as much power when ambient temperatures rise.

Britain’s network is designed for extreme temperatures but operators in the areas affected by the Met Office’s red warning have escalated preparations for the heat wave, according to the industry lobby group.

On the generation side, the high-pressure system that’s bringing the heat also creates low winds that sap Britain of one of its biggest sources of cheap energy. Wind farms are set to generate less than 2 gigawatts of power on Monday, leaving the electricity grid more reliant on expensive natural gas.

Solar will help lighten the burden, but the U.K.’s fleet of farms is much smaller than its wind power potential.

[END REPORT]

See also:

Hungary declares 'energy emergency' over threat of shortages - ABC News (go.com) - July 13

Heat wave in Europe: 'National emergency' in UK as historic temps forecast and wildfires rage (msn.com) - July 17

[...]

In Spain, 237 deaths have occurred due to high temperatures this month, according to the country's Carlos III Institute, which records temperature-related fatalities daily.

The heat has helped fuel raging wildfires in multiple countries:

• In France, firefighters struggled Saturday to contain a huge wildfire that raced across pine forests in the Bordeaux region for a fifth straight day.
• In Portugal, more than 160 people have been injured by wildfires and hundreds have been forced to evacuate. The pilot of a firefighting plane also died when his plane crashed.
• Spain is also battling several wildfires, including two that have burned about 18,200 acres and caused around 3,000 people to be evacuated.
• [...]