EU Faces Historic Heat Wave   05/26 06:04

   A spring heatwave scorched parts of Western Europe, triggering government 
warnings about risks to life.

   LONDON (AP) -- Firefighters battled a grass fire in Edinburgh and 
temperature records toppled as a spring heatwave scorched parts of Western 
Europe, triggering government warnings about risks to life.

   London recorded a rare "tropical night," defined as one in which the 
temperature does not fall below 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit), and Britain's Met 
Office weather service said the temperature in southern England could hit 35 C 
(95 F) on Tuesday.

   A 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in a reservoir in 
Halifax, northern England, on Monday, police said.

   In France, temperatures have broken records for the month of May, soaring 
well over 30 C (86 F) in many parts of the country.

   Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said there have been reports of at least 
seven deaths potentially related to high temperatures, including five drownings 
and two deaths in sports competitions.

   Monday was the U.K.'s hottest May day on record, with the temperature 
hitting 34.8 C at Kew Gardens in London, smashing the previous record of 32.8 C 
(91.4 F) set in 1922 and 1944.

   After a U.K. long weekend that sent people flocking to beaches, pools and 
shady parks, London commuters sweltered on Tuesday in unairconditioned subway 
carriages. Trains running to and from the city's busy Waterloo station were 
disrupted by a report of smoke on the tracks.

   Firefighters worked through the night to douse a fire that sent plumes of 
smoke billowing from Arthur's Seat, the rocky hill that looms over Edinburgh.

   The U.K. Health Security Agency issued an amber health alert for much of the 
country through Wednesday morning, warning of a potential health risk, 
particularly among the elderly, at the hottest times of the day. The U.K. is 
used to moderate temperatures, and many homes, schools and businesses do not 
have air conditioning.

   The early heatwave has struck before the annual summer window when 
lifeguards watch over bathers at popular beaches, increasing risks.

   On France's Atlantic seaboard, where magnificent beaches also have powerful 
riptides, officials reported a rash of emergencies in the surf with two 
drowning deaths on Sunday at popular resorts in the Gironde region in the 
southwest.

   The top regional administrator, Sophie Brocas, urged beachgoers "to exercise 
the utmost caution."

   Unpredictable and extreme weather becoming more frequent as Earth's warming 
builds. Experts say unprecedented and deadly weather extremes that sometimes 
strike at abnormal times and in unusual places are putting more people in 
danger.