Europe melts in fatal heatwave as warnings issued across the continent
Severe heat was recorded in Italy , Greece , Spain and Portugal, with locals and tourists alike taking shelter from the conditions. The heat is expected to extend north and across other parts of western Europe early this week, with Paris on course for 39C and London receiving 35C today - the hottest day of the year so far. Authorities in Karpathos, Greece are now investigating the disappearance of a 55-year-old British tourist who has been missing since Friday, as meteorologists put out a health warning, anticipating air temperatures as high as 36C (97F).
In Barcelona, Spain a woman died shortly after finishing her shift as a road sweeper on Saturday, with authorities investigating the cause. Temperatures were expected to rise as high as 34C (93F) on Monday, and hit 46C (115F) in the arid south. This month is on course to be the hottest June on record in Spain. Neighbouring Portugal has advised people 'not to go out' during the hottest hours, reporting heat strokes and burns as the heatwave took hold. In Spain, temperatures reached 46C (115F) in the south on Saturday, with this month set to be the hottest June on record. A woman died after finishing her shift as a street sweeper in Barcelona on Saturday, with authorities still investigating the cause.
In Italy, a few regions were planning to ban some outdoor work activities during the hottest hours of the day in response to the record-high temperatures. Trade unions pushed the government to expand such measures at a national level. The Italian Health Ministry placed 21 out of 27 monitored cities under its highest heat alert, including top holiday destinations like Rome, Milan and Naples. It said it had reported a spike in heatstroke cases, mostly affecting the elderly, cancer patients and homeless people. Pensioners were told to find shelter in museums and pools as the heatwave continues to grip the nation.
The summer's first major heatwave has seen authorities in the countries along the Mediterranean's northern coast urging people to seek shelter. Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent. In Barcelona, a 51-year-old woman named locally as Montserrat A. died shortly after finishing work in the midst of a heatwave. Barcelona City Council confirmed the incident, though has not confirmed whether the death was heat related. An autopsy will confirm whether her death was related to the heat or another cause.
Union sources said she was working in the Raval neighbourhood from around 2pm until 9pm, some of the hottest hours in the city, El Pais reports . She died at home shortly after finishing her shift. Firefighters were on standby after blazes broke out Sunday in France and Turkey, fed by the heat and strong winds. Already last week, Greek firefighters had to battle a forest blaze on the coast south of Athens that forced some evacuations.
The south of France dealt with an inferno of its own over the weekend as a huge blaze broke out in Aude, near Toulouse, burning through some 400 hectares of land. Authorities believe the fire was caused by a poorly extinguished barbecue, and a suspect has been arrested. 'This is unprecedented,' Agnes Pannier-Runacher, France's ecology transition minister said as a record 84 of the nation's 96 mainland departments were placed on the second-highest 'orange' heat alert. Only a small sliver of the country in the northwest was not sweltering, according to the Meteo France weather service, which said the heatwave was due to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday.
To the east, Greece and Turkey have been hit hard by wildfires, causing chaos for tourists as hundreds of passengers were left stranded. A huge fire ripped through the popular resort of Foça, İzmir, in Turkey before strong winds fanned the flames and sent it towards neighbourhoods and residential areas. One suspect has been accused of starting the fire when they allegedly set fire to their own house, and tinder-dry conditions saw the blaze spread at pace.
In the wake of the fire in Turkey, flights at İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport had closed temporarily as of 4pm local time on Sunday. Hundreds of passengers have now been left stranded as a result of the blazes. Alvaro Iturmendi, travel insurance expert at Confused.com, said that in light of the wildfires, 'several airlines are adjusting their schedules'.
'This mix of cancellations and ongoing services may leave many travellers uncertain about their upcoming trips. If you're due to fly to Izmir or nearby areas, your first step should be to contact your airline for the latest updates. 'With the wildfires affecting transport links and air quality in the region, it's important to plan ahead and monitor official travel advice. Airlines should refund you if your flight is officially cancelled, or help you arrange an alternative. However, if your flight is still scheduled and you decide not to travel, you may not automatically be entitled to a refund.'
The insurance comparison website offers guidance on flight cancellations. Planes were seen dumping large amounts of water over the infernos in an attempt to fight the blazes in Turkey over the weekend. Residents watched in horror as their homes went up in flames while firefighters spent more than 22 hours tackling the huge blaze across İzmir. The major emergency response involved 625 personnel, including six helicopters, 46 fire engines, nine bulldozers and 13 water supply vehicles. Around 550 residents were evacuated from some 175 homes in Ilıpınar, Foça. Four firefighters were reportedly affected by smoke poisoning, with two of them taken to hospital.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown. Another suggestion is that the fire may have been caused by a high-voltage power line. Governor Süleyman Elban urged residents to be cautious over the next few days. He said low humidity and high temperatures could lead to more fires. The governor said: 'We expect the next four or five days to be very hot, with strong winds and low humidity. These conditions are perfect for a fire. Everyone's life is at stake. We must all be extremely cautious.'
Wildfires were also reported in Kahramanmaraş, Bursa, Sakarya, Bilecik, Gaziantep, Bolu and Manisa this week. Environment Minister Murat Kurum said 23 houses and 47 units in 3 villages were destroyed in forest fires in Bilecik, while 41 houses and 25 barns and warehouses were also severely damaged. A large wildfire broke out south of Athens on Thursday, forcing evacuations and road closures near the ancient Temple of Poseidon. Strong winds spread the flames, damaging homes and sending smoke across the sky. Greek authorities deployed 130 firefighters, 12 planes and 12 helicopters to battle the blaze, while police evacuated 40 people, with five areas under evacuation orders.
A Lancet Public Health study published last year highlighted the increasing risk of heat-related deaths because of climate change. The study predicted that heat-related deaths could more than quadruple by midcentury under current climate policies. The hottest place in the UK on Sunday was London's St James's Park - which hit a smouldering 31C. The country's weather service Meteo France put a record 84 out of its 101 regional departments on an orange heatwave alert - the second-highest - for Monday. Spain's weather service AEMET said temperatures in Extremadura and Andalusia, in the south and southwest, had reached up to 44C Sunday and issued a special warning amid the heatwave.
Several areas in the southern half of Portugal, including Lisbon, are under a red warning until Monday night, said the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Two-thirds of Portugal was also on high alert Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires - as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday. In Italy, 21 cities were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence and Rome. 'We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted,' said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a 'muggy, miserable' Verona.
Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported an uptick in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine. 'We've seen around a 10 percent increase, mainly in cities that not only have very high temperatures but also a higher humidity rate. It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue,' he said. In Venice, authorities offered free guided tours for people over 75s in air-conditioned museums and public buildings. Meanwhile, temperatures are set to soar to 34C in the UK on Monday. Britain bathed in balmy 30C heat on Sunday to round off a sweltering weekend and there is set to be no relief overnight, with temperatures in England and Northern Ireland remaining in the late teens.
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