HEATWAVE – Meteolux has issued an orange heat alert for today and tomorrow as Luxembourg is expected to hit soaring temperatures of up to 34°C. The alert covers the entire Grand-Duchy, with the sweltering heat being particularly intense from 12–9pm today. On Tuesday, temperatures will soar once again to 34°C across the country. However, the weather will cool down again as the afternoon will bring thunderstorms and some light rain.
BOOK LOVERS – Luxembourg emerges as the most avid book-reading nation in the EU, with over three-quarters of its population reporting they picked up a book in the past year, according to new figures from Eurostat. Denmark follows closely and Estonia ranks third. These figures starkly contrast with countries like Romania, where under 30% of the population reported reading books. There are also significant differences depending on age and gender. Women read more than men and young people between the ages of 16 and 29 read the most.
PARIS OLYMPICS – The Paris Olympics have been closed with an elaborate ceremony at the Stade de France. Officials praised the athletes for the way they had competed and viewers were treated to musical acts and fireworks. The Olympic flag was passed to Los Angeles, where the Games will take place in four years’ time. Tom Cruise, who entered the stadium on a zip wire, added a touch of Hollywood glamour.
MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT – The Pentagon says US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and has told an aircraft carrier to hasten to the area. Fears of a wider regional conflict have escalated, following Israel’s assassination of a senior commander of Hezbollah and the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which Hamas has blamed on Israel.
GREECE FIRES – Thousands of people in towns and villages outside the Greek capital Athens have been ordered to move to safer areas as wildfires rage in the region. Dozens of fires, some with flames as high as 25m have broken out since Saturday, fanned by gale force winds and hot weather. Parts of the capital are clouded in smoke from a new fire that broke out on Sunday.
UKRAINE WAR – Moscow has acknowledged Ukrainian troops have pierced deep into the Kursk border region in an offensive that a top official in Ukraine said aimed to “destabilise” Russia and “stretch” its forces. President Volodymyr Zelensky directly acknowledged the attack for the first time in a televised address last night. Meanwhile, each country has blamed the other for a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, occupied by Russian forces, though both sides – and the UN nuclear watchdog – said there was no sign of a nuclear leak.
OLYMPICS 2024 – The Olympic Games in Paris came to an end yesterday evening. Around 9,000 athletes and volunteers attended the closing ceremony, along with another 75,000 spectators. Patrizia van der Weken carried the Luxembourgish flag. Now all eyes are moving to the Paralympics, starting on 28 August. 4,400 athletes will be competing, including two Luxembourgers: Kathrin Kohl and Tom Habscheid.
In the final medal tally, the USA is in the lead, with 126 medals, including 40 gold. China got the same number of gold medals, but they have 35 fewer silver and bronze medals. Then come Japan, Australia, and France as the most successful European nations. 91 different countries won at least one medal.
Looking towards Los Angeles in four years’ time, there are likely to be some changes on a sporting level. Breakdance will not be on the programme and boxing probably not either. A decision on the matter is expected next year. New additions include men’s baseball and women’s softball. For the very first time, medals will be won in squash and flag football (a modified version of American football) and lacrosse will once again become an Olympic sport.
CYCLING – Today is the start of the womens’ Tour de France. There are eight stages – from Rotterdam to the Alpe d’Huez. 154 cyclists are taking part, including Nina Berton and Christine Majerus from Luxembourg. On the first day today, the race will be across 123 relatively flat kilometres from Rotterdam to The Hague.
A dry, cloudless day lies in store, but Meteolux has issued a warning as temperatures could hit highs of 34°C. The weather warning applies from midday until 8pm. The morning will start off warm at 21–23°C, peaking between 30 and 34°C in the afternoon, dropping slightly to 26–28°C in the evening.
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