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The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street

case study

Summer 2017

Southern Europe heats up

GCSE courses ask about extreme weather events in the UK. This case study is an example of an extreme weather event in Europe which will widen your understanding. It looks at the impacts on people and the environment, and at possible links to climate change

Tourists try to keep cool in Venice

During the summer of 2017, southern Europe experienced a heatwave. Although the UK did not have a particularly hot summer, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey all experienced unusually high temperatures throughout the summer, reaching a peak in August. Temperatures soared to over 40°C and the heatwave persisted due to the high-pressure system which settled over Europe. The consequences of these high temperatures and lack of rain were wildfires, drought and difficult conditions for people, including tourists (see Figure 1).

On 17 June 2017, a forest fire broke out 200 km northeast of Lisbon, in central Portugal. It spread fast and by the end of the day 160 specialist vehicles and hundreds of firefighters were tackling the blaze. This was just one of over 60 wildfires that broke out in Portugal at about the same time.

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The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street

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