Heatwave Across The Med Sparks Health And Fire Warnings
Southern European countries braced Friday for a punishing weekend heatwave, with temperatures predicted to hit up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and beyond, prompting health warnings for residents and tourists plus fears of wildfires.
The searing heat spreading across the Mediterranean from the Iberian peninsula to the Balkans and Greece comes as climate scientists warn that galloping human-induced climate change is causing more extreme weather, including longer and more intense heatwaves.
Tens of millions of people have already been sweltering in what the National Weather Service called an "extremely dangerous" heatwave across the eastern United States, including in New York and Washington, straining the power grid as people cranked up air conditioning.
Across the Atlantic in Spain, emergency medical staff readied to deal with an expected surge in heatstroke cases, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses.
In neighbouring Portugal, the national meteorological agency IPMA said the heatwave would hit from Saturday, with temperatures passing 40C in the south of the country as well as in the central Tagus and the Douro valleys in the north.
Sunday will be even hotter, the agency added, and two-thirds of the country has already been put on orange alert. Temperatures are expected to hit 42C in the capital, Lisbon.
The risk of fire is at its highest inland in the northern half of Portugal, as well as on the Algarve coast popular with holidaymakers in the south.
France has been gripped by its 50th national heatwave since 1947 for more than a week now, and four regions in southern France were placed under an orange alert on Friday -- the second-highest warning -- as temperatures were expected to reach 35C to 38C locally, and up to 39C inland.
The Meteo France weather agency said surface sea temperatures from the Mediterranean were an "aggravating factor" that could make nights "more stifling".
Nine additional French regions are expected to be placed on orange alert from 12:00 pm (1000 GMT) on Saturday.
In Italy, the health ministry issued its top red alert for 21 cities this weekend including the capital Rome, the economic powerhouse Milan and Venice, where the rich and famous were celebrating the wedding of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos.
People were advised not to go outdoors between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm, and to seek shelter in air-conditioned public places.
In Venice, the temperature was set to hit 32C on Saturday, when Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are expected to be throwing a dance party starring Lady Gaga -- but it will feel like around 36C due to humidity.
In Florence, which was already on red alert on Friday, the temperature is forecast to reach 37C on Saturday, while it will go up to 36C on Sunday in Rome, Milan and Naples.
Across the Adriatic, the authorities in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia also issued health warnings, while in Albania, firefighters battled Thursday to bring at least eight blazes under control after flames destroyed dozens of homes in the south of the country last weekend.
Further south, weather agencies in Greece forecast a heatwave in the coming days with temperatures of more than 40C, including in the capital Athens.
The country has become particularly vulnerable to summer fires in recent years fuelled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change.
Firefighters said Friday that a forest blaze that had forced evacuations around Athens was under control but warned that scorching temperatures were keeping fire risk at a highly elevated level around the capital and on northern Aegean islands.
Fields, olive groves and some houses were ravaged by the blaze around Athens, which came after another on Greece's fifth-largest island Chios that destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of land in four days. Weather agencies say the risk of forest fires is increased AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
9 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Europe Bakes In Summer's First Heatwave As Continent Warms
Southern Europeans braced Saturday for the first heatwave of the northern hemisphere summer, as climate change pushes thermometers on the world's fastest-warming continent increasingly into the red. Temperatures are set to rise to 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit) in Rome, driving the Eternal City's many tourists and Catholic pilgrims to the Vatican alike towards the Italian capital's 2,500 public fountains for refreshment. With residents of the southern French port city of Marseille expected to have to cope with temperatures flirting with 40C (104F), authorities in the country's second-largest city ordered public swimming pools to be made free of charge to help residents beat the Mediterranean heat. Two-thirds of Portugal will be on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires, with 42C (108F) expected in the capital Lisbon, while visitors to -- and protesters against -- Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos's Friday wedding in Venice likewise sweltered under the summer sun. "I try not to think about it, but I drink a lot of water and never stay still, because that's when you get sunstroke," Sriane Mina, an Italian student, told AFP on Friday in Venice. Scientists have long warned that humanity's burning of fossil fuels is heating up the world with disastrous consequences for the environment, with Europe's ever-hotter and increasingly common blistering summer heatwaves a direct result of that warming. The heatwave is forecast to become even more intense on Sunday. Spain, which has in past years seen a series of deadly summer blazes ravaging the Iberian peninsula, is expecting peak temperatures in excess of 40C (104F) across most of the country. According to the Spanish meteorological agency, temperatures may even register 42C (108F) in some areas, including the Guadalquivir, Guadiana, and Tagus regions. The past three years have been the hottest in Spain's history. With peaks of 39C (102F) expected in Naples and Palermo, Sicily has ordered a ban on outdoor work in the hottest hours of the day, as has the Liguria region in northern Italy. The country's trade unions are campaigning to extend the measure to other parts of the country. In Nice, on the French Riviera, nearly 250 portable fans have been distributed to schools over the past two weeks to help cope with the heat. The heatwave comes hot on the heels of a series of tumbling records for extreme heat, including Europe's hottest March ever, according to the EU's Copernicus climate monitor. As a result of the planet's warming, extreme weather events including hurricanes, droughts, floods and heatwaves like this weekend's have become more frequent and intense, scientists warn. By some estimates 2024, the hottest year in recorded history so far, saw worldwide disasters that cost more than $300 billion. Scientists warn that humanity's burning of fossil fuels is causing ever-hotter summers AFP Tourists by the Bridge of Sighs in Venice walking in the heat AFP
DW
a day ago
- DW
Europe: Scorching heat grips the continent – DW – 06/27/2025
The first heatwaves of the summer are hitting Europe, triggering wildfires and health warnings. Weather forecasters say the phenomenon is becoming more common each year. Extreme heat is being felt across Europe with more in store over the coming days. Though the Wimbledon tennis tournament says, it is bracing for its hottest-ever start with temperatures expected to be around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), southern countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece look set to see temperatures far higher still. In all, high temperatures are expected to affect the entire Mediterranean, from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans. In Andalusia, in southern Spain, temperatures are set to climb to 43 degrees in a heatwave forecast to last until late next week. Spain's AEMET state weather service has also forecast high temperatures in the country's northeastern Zaragoza area. Spain says medical emergency staff expect to see a surge in heatstroke cases among children, the elderly and those with chronic illness. Temperatures over 40 are also expected in neighboring Portugal, where fire warnings have been given for northern inland areas as well as along the Algarve coast. In Greece, which is also experiencing its first heatwave of the season with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees, a wildfire has triggered evacuations south of the capital, Athens, where coast guard ships and fire-dousing helicopters are actively fighting the blaze. Patrol boats have been deployed to the area for a potential sea evacuation. Here, too, high temperatures and strong winds have worsened the situation. Athens and its surrounding areas remain on high fire alert due to the prevailing conditions. The Meteo France weather agency declared this week that the country is experiencing its 50th national heatwave since 1947, with several regions under high-temperature alert. The weather agency said higher surface temperatures in the Mediterranean had become an "aggravating factor," meaning that daytime temperatures could reach upwards of 39 degrees and little respite should be expected at night. In Italy, 21 cities, including the capital, Rome, have been put under extreme temperature alert. Another city on the list is Venice, where billionaire American businessman Jeff Bezos is making a TV presenter his second wife among crowds of celebrity guests as well as protesters in the tourist destination. Across the Adriatic, Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian authorities also issued health warnings as temperatures rose and as wildfires raged in Albania. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video All across the EU, residents are being advised to remain indoors during the hottest part of the day if possible — generally from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — though meteorologists say little cooling should be expected at night over the next week. Though early summer heatwaves were known in the past, meteorologists say they are becoming far more frequent as a result of what they say is human-induced climate change. Statistics from scientists at AEMET in Spain, for instance, documented only two June heatwaves between 1975 and 2000. Nine were recorded between 2000 and 2024.
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Int'l Business Times
Heatwave Across The Med Sparks Health And Fire Warnings
Southern European countries braced Friday for a punishing weekend heatwave, with temperatures predicted to hit up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and beyond, prompting health warnings for residents and tourists plus fears of wildfires. The searing heat spreading across the Mediterranean from the Iberian peninsula to the Balkans and Greece comes as climate scientists warn that galloping human-induced climate change is causing more extreme weather, including longer and more intense heatwaves. Tens of millions of people have already been sweltering in what the National Weather Service called an "extremely dangerous" heatwave across the eastern United States, including in New York and Washington, straining the power grid as people cranked up air conditioning. Across the Atlantic in Spain, emergency medical staff readied to deal with an expected surge in heatstroke cases, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses. In neighbouring Portugal, the national meteorological agency IPMA said the heatwave would hit from Saturday, with temperatures passing 40C in the south of the country as well as in the central Tagus and the Douro valleys in the north. Sunday will be even hotter, the agency added, and two-thirds of the country has already been put on orange alert. Temperatures are expected to hit 42C in the capital, Lisbon. The risk of fire is at its highest inland in the northern half of Portugal, as well as on the Algarve coast popular with holidaymakers in the south. France has been gripped by its 50th national heatwave since 1947 for more than a week now, and four regions in southern France were placed under an orange alert on Friday -- the second-highest warning -- as temperatures were expected to reach 35C to 38C locally, and up to 39C inland. The Meteo France weather agency said surface sea temperatures from the Mediterranean were an "aggravating factor" that could make nights "more stifling". Nine additional French regions are expected to be placed on orange alert from 12:00 pm (1000 GMT) on Saturday. In Italy, the health ministry issued its top red alert for 21 cities this weekend including the capital Rome, the economic powerhouse Milan and Venice, where the rich and famous were celebrating the wedding of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos. People were advised not to go outdoors between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm, and to seek shelter in air-conditioned public places. In Venice, the temperature was set to hit 32C on Saturday, when Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are expected to be throwing a dance party starring Lady Gaga -- but it will feel like around 36C due to humidity. In Florence, which was already on red alert on Friday, the temperature is forecast to reach 37C on Saturday, while it will go up to 36C on Sunday in Rome, Milan and Naples. Across the Adriatic, the authorities in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia also issued health warnings, while in Albania, firefighters battled Thursday to bring at least eight blazes under control after flames destroyed dozens of homes in the south of the country last weekend. Further south, weather agencies in Greece forecast a heatwave in the coming days with temperatures of more than 40C, including in the capital Athens. The country has become particularly vulnerable to summer fires in recent years fuelled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change. Firefighters said Friday that a forest blaze that had forced evacuations around Athens was under control but warned that scorching temperatures were keeping fire risk at a highly elevated level around the capital and on northern Aegean islands. Fields, olive groves and some houses were ravaged by the blaze around Athens, which came after another on Greece's fifth-largest island Chios that destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of land in four days. Weather agencies say the risk of forest fires is increased AFP
