Summer arrives in different guises

June the 21st marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and in Europe the day has been met by extreme weather.

Tha south east of the continent has been feeling the heat. Romania, Hungary and Greece are in the grip of a heatwave and temperatures have risen into the low 40’s. While it is good news for those selling ice-cream and bottled water, hospitals have already been receiving hundreds of people a day suffering from heat- and sun-stroke.

Authorities are warning people to avoid too much exposure to the sun and air-conditioned cooling tents have sprung up in many towns.

In contrast the UK has been hit by severe flooding. Families, businesses and emergency services are in the process of assessing the damage across the British Isles.

And entire houses have been blown down in Switzerland, which has witnessed the worst storms in decades.

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