Europe faces first major heatwave of summer
In Madrid the usually busy streets are dotted with residents and tourists seeking relief, some carrying portable fans, others resting in the shade or under water sprinklers installed in public areas.
Swings hang empty in sun-scorched playgrounds, while vendors do brisk business selling cold drinks under the blazing sun.
For residents, the heat has become a daily struggle. "Honestly, it's tough," says Marina, a 22-year-old marketing intern. "There's no sea here, barely any pools in Madrid. You sweat so much, it's just unpleasant."
Janeth, a 47-year-old street vendor, describes the heat as "exhausting" and says it forced her to change jobs.
"My previous work was unbearable. I even felt dizzy from the heat"
As the sun reflects off the city's buildings and umbrellas bloom across plazas, the early arrival of such extreme heat has taken many by surprise.
"It always gets hot in Madrid," Marina adds, "but for it to be this intense in June? That's shocking."
Meanwhile, Barcelona City Council has activated in preventive phase, until 15 September, its Heat Plan and the Climate Shelter Network to make municipal resources and air-conditioned spaces available to citizens during this period.
Included in this space are the children's play areas with water in public parks.
People in Greece advised to stay indoors
Temperatures in Greece yesterday surpassed 40C with authorities advising the public to stay indoors.
At the Acropolis in Athens scores of tourists endured the heat with the help of hats, fans and umbrellas while air-conditioned centres were made available to the public to find refuge until the evening.
Authorities set up a hotline for anyone requiring medical advice due to the heat.
They also advised residents not to throw out rubbish during peak heat hours in the middle of the day, to stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, and to restrict their movements.
Authorities also banned outdoor work for builders and delivery staff from 9am to 2pm local time, and encouraged remote working.
At the city's homeless animal shelter four-legged friends enjoyed dips in the dog pool to keep cool.
The fire brigade said it was on standby and warned of a high risk of fires in central and southern Greece.
On Thursday, a wildfire in a coastal town south of Athens damaged homes.
Meteorologists said temperatures will start to dip on the weekend.
Greece has often experienced hot and dry summers, but longer and more severe heatwaves have been more frequent in recent years along with wildfires amid a changing climate.
In the UK, temperatures could hit 30C amid the second amber heat health alert in two weeks.
Yesterday, temperatures reached 29C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, and the weather is forecast to climb over the next couple of days, according to the Met Office.
It comes as a second amber heat health alert in two weeks came into force yesterday.
The alert, which covers London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England, will last until 6pm on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Ireland is not expected to be affected by the heatwave.
Cloudy, damp and humid conditions will linger this afternoon further south and east with highest temperatures of 17 to 22C expected.
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Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Heatwave and wildfires across Europe leave 10 people dead as 300 taken to hospital in France due to high temperatures
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The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
‘It's hard to breathe' – Grim ‘postpone your Spain hol' alert to Irish as locals ‘hide out' deadly 42C Europe heatwave
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Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS Wildfires in Lleida in Spain have claimed the lives of two people as blistering The area is under an orange weather alert, one of 118 heat warnings issued across Spain yesterday. In the Costa Dorada town of Vallam a toddler Night-time temperatures recorded overnight into Tuesday hit 28C in Seville and 27C in Barcelona. Advertisement Most read in Irish News Leah told She said: "I'm waking up and the sun is coming up into my room and even when you've the blinds closed you're waking up in just sweltering heat. The heatwave staple being sold in Aldi for €4.99 and it's perfect if you don't like the feel of suncream on your skin "I'm waking up three and four times a night and it's nasty, like it's disgusting." "Even going out onto the balcony to hang out clothes, your feet are burnt off. It's so, so hot. Advertisement "At night time, it's still 27C, 28C, which if you put it into perspective, in Ireland on a nice sunny day that we would enjoy, it could be like 19 degrees. "You'd be like, 'oh it's lovely, isn't it?' And you think 30 degrees is okay, but it's actually really not. 9 Leah showed us how the streets are empty as local hide inside from the temperatures Credit: Journalist Collect 9 She also showed the extreme weather alerts people in Spain have been issued Credit: Journalist Collect Advertisement 9 Leah warned Irish tourists to seriously consider cancelling their holidays on account of the heat Credit: Getty Images "It's miserable. It's gone past the point of actually enjoying the heat and enjoying it safely, because everyone's just inside hiding." Leah explained how the streets of Barcelona look empty as people stick to shaded areas of the footpath and avoid beaches and the city centre. 'HARD TO BREATHE' She explained: "It's hard to breathe here. I was walking down the street the other day and everyone was on the second half of the path in the shade. Advertisement "When you have to get off the footpath, you have to walk in the sun and it's a nightmare. It's awful." Describing the city as "empty", Leah said that those who do dare to walk outside stick to the shade - but most of the locals are sticking indoors. She said: "When you get closer into the city centre, there's no locals. There's no sign of locals. "Everything is raising the prices because they know people need it, especially tourists. So the price of everything is going up in this heat as well." Leah Daly "They're all obviously at home or hiding around the country or away from the city. Advertisement "Obviously being in the city with the traffic and the buildings and everything, it's making it hotter." And as the UV index reaches 11, Leah explained how the She told us: "People are going and they're sitting there for probably 20 minutes and going, yeah, this actually isn't fun and they're leaving. "We've gone a couple of times over the last weekends and at the start of the day it's been havoc then after about 20 minutes when you're looking around, everyone's gone. Advertisement 'IT'S JUST SO HOT' "I love lying out, absolutely adore it but you just can't, it's just so hot. "And even when you do, you're up every two seconds to go to the shop to go get water or you need to bring frozen water with you." But Leah, who's been working remotely for company Fatjoe, warned even the AC in the apartments is simply not strong enough. The young woman has found herself opting to work from cafes and coffee shops where there is industrial strength air conditioning. Advertisement She said: "Anyone coming, I would definitely make sure where you're staying has AC and it's working." 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She added: "I'm actually going to book a trip home, I think, just to get away from it for a while. "I'm showering potentially three times a day. Most days twice. But there comes a point like at the start of the summer this year when you just start sweating and I just haven't not sweat since. Advertisement "We're trying to make the most of like outdoor pools, like Montjuic pool and stuff like that. "But everything is SPAIN HEAT ALERTS SPAIN has been slapped with 118 heat alerts. These cover virtually the entire country, with the exception of areas of the south east coast such as Almeria and swathes of the north east such as Oviedo. In Seville, people have been warned the mercury will rise above 40C for the next three days - and night time temperatures are expected to remain around 25C. Meanwhile, there are also warnings for storms and heavy rainfall in eastern regions of the country. Those in Valencia and Catalonia have been warned as much as 20mm of rain could fall. Leah had some valuable advice for anyone who does decide to push ahead with their holiday, warning they will need to stay safe. She warned: "As much as you think you want that tan or you want to make the most of the sun, you can enjoy it safely and from indoors. Advertisement "The UV goes down from 6pm, even though it's still hot and it's a bit still hard to manage, it's way safer for you." 'BE INSIDE' Leah continued: "Go and actually see the culture and stuff. Book stuff, be inside for the hottest parts of the day. "If you're going to see Casa Batllo, maybe book that for around like 12pm. If you're going outside places like Park Guell, like just make sure you have frozen bottles of water. "The people selling bottles of water on the street, I heard a tourist being charged five euro for a small bottle of water the other day." Advertisement She stressed: "I'm not even being dramatic. It is difficult to breathe in that heat. I avoid it most of the day." IRISH GOVERNMENT ADVICE The Department of Foreign Affairs has also listed some important advice for Irish citizens living in Spain or Irish tourists visiting. They warned: "During dry periods or periods of high temperatures, there is a risk of forest fires in many parts of Spain. These can result in road and railway closures. In addition, air quality in areas near active fires may deteriorate and adversely affect travellers, particularly those with respiratory ailments. Advertisement "Irish citizens should monitor the news closely as the situation can change quickly, and take particular care to avoid engaging in any action that may contribute to the risk of forest fires when outdoors. "We have no sign of it cooling down anytime soon. And I do fear August will be worse." Leah Daly "If you see a fire or smoke, you are advised to call the emergency number 112. The operators speak English, and will be able to assist you. And they added: "Spain can at times experience extreme weather conditions, including flooding, which can adversely affect travel plans. "You can monitor information and alerts, including severe weather warnings, on the website of the Spanish Meteorological Agency, AEMET. Advertisement "Citizens are advised to check the latest weather information before they travel and to follow the advice of the local authorities." 'VERY HIGH RISK OF HEAT STRESS' A UN climate spokesperson has warned that this will not be the last we see of killer heatwaves across Europe. Clare Nullis, from the World Meteorological Organisation, issued the warning after temperatures hit 46C in Spain. She said: "The frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is increasing in Europe. Advertisement She continued: "By 2050 about half the European population may be exposed to high or very high risk of heat stress during summer." 9 Leah warned tourists planning to still travel to be well equipped with water Credit: REUTERS/ Albert Gea 9 Leah also stressed the importance of having air con in you accommodation Credit: Journalist Collect 9 Most of Spain and surround Islands are under weather alerts Credit: Aemet Advertisement
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
France reports two deaths in heatwave, 300 hospitalised
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