Case Study 7: High Pressure/Anticyclone: Heat Wave 2003

Question 1

What impact did this heatwave have on Europe

Answer 1

1. 30,000 died in Europe
2. €1 billion – cost of heat wave.
3. 14,000 died in France alone. 5000 people were admitted to hospital each day suffering from heat related issues. There was no room to store the bodies. Temporary mortuaries were set up in refrigeration lorries
4. in London, 900 people died from the heat on one day alone when the temperatures rose to 38°C. During the whole two weeks heat wave about 2000 died

Question 2

What was the cause of the heatwave?

Answer 2

And area of high-pressure sat over Europe for two weeks bringing temperatures up to 40°C and remaining high for the two weeks

Conditions in the cities were particularly bad due to impact of the urban heat island

Question 3

How was the environment affected?

Answer 3

1. Many rivers and lakes across the UK suffered very low levels. This was the same across Europe. 2. The River Danube in Serbia fell to its lowest level in 100 years. Reservoirs and rivers use for public water supply and hydroelectric scheme is either dried up all run extremely low.
2. The lack of rainfall meant very dry conditions occurred over much of Europe.
3. Forest fires broke out in merry many countries. In Portugal 215,000 hectares Area of forest were destroyed.

Question 4

Death stats

Answer 4

UK – 2000
Portugal -2100
Italy - 3100
Holland – 1500
Germany – 300

Question 5

What effect does it have on air-pollution?

Answer 5

Appellation rises. Because in high-pressure the air is falling, any pollution gets trapped close to the ground. Many of the desk in London where attribute it to air-pollution.

Question 6

Who was affected?

Answer 6

1. The elderly, because they were unable to cope with the heat. Houses are often not build to stay cool and the people inside come become dehydrated. People who are older cannot always control their body temperature and soon become dehydrated
2. all people living in the city is where the temperature is where at its highest. Buildings and homes often not air-conditioned so working would have been very uncomfortable
3. emergency services because they had to do with the dead and dying. Police and ambulance crews often found bodies in homes

Question 7

What causes the weather event?

Answer 7

High-pressure