Heat Wave Scorching Italy and Greece Tests Grids, Sparks Alerts
A high-pressure system is feeding in a stream of hot air from North Africa, where temperatures in Tunisia are forecast to reach 47C (117F) on Monday. Southern Italy faces high wildfire risks, while highs in Sicily are expected to hit 43C. The Italian island set Europe's current temperature record of 48.8C in 2021.
This June was the warmest on record for Western Europe, with heat waves amplified by an unusually hot western Mediterranean Sea. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events on the world's fastest-warming continent.
Greece is also straining under the heat. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service expects temperatures to reach up to 43°C on the mainland and authorities have placed Athens and the wider Attica region on high wildfire alert. There were about 70 wildfires recorded across the country over the weekend.
Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou convened an emergency meeting Sunday with the country's power grid and distribution network operators to ensure electricity supply remains stable amid surging demand. To protect workers, Greece's labor ministry has mandated a nationwide halt to outdoor labor between noon and 5 p.m. Monday in multiple regions.
Heat across the region is getting a boost from an extremely warm Mediterranean Ocean, where temperatures are 4C above normal, data from the Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System show.
Red heat alerts are also active in Serbia, which could see daytime highs near 39C, according to national forecaster RHMZ.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
a day ago
- News18
Major forest fire in Greece forces several villages to evacuate
Major forest fire in Greece forces several villages to evacuate Last Updated: July 23, 2025, 02:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Athens (Greece), Jul 23 (AP) A major forest fire broke out near the Greek city of Corinth on Tuesday, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of several villages. More than 180 firefighters, 15 planes and 12 helicopters were tackling the wildfire in a pine forest in the mountains near Corinth, the fire department said. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Recommended Stories Weather conditions were particularly tough for firefighters. A heatwave has sent temperatures to around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in many parts of the country. Earlier Tuesday, a firefighting helicopter crashed into the sea and sank while attempting to take on water to tackle a separate fire near Athens. The three crew were rescued and transported to a hospital. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Wildfires are frequent in Greece during its hot, dry summers, and the fire department has tackled dozens across the country this year. In 2018, a massive fire swept through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping people in homes and on roads as they tried to flee. More than 100 died, including some who drowned while trying to swim away. (AP) AS AS view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 02:30 IST News agency-feeds Major forest fire in Greece forces several villages to evacuate
Mint
2 days ago
- Mint
Tropical Storm Wipha Set to Make Landfall in Northern Vietnam
(Bloomberg) -- Tropical Storm Wipha is edging slowly toward Vietnam and is set to cross the coast near the northern port city of Haiphong around noon on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding. Wipha strengthened as it moved over the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin overnight, but interaction with nearby land and persistent crosswinds kept its intensification in check, according to the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The JTWC assessed the storm's top sustained winds at 93 kilometers (58 miles) per hour, placing it below typhoon strength. Vietnam's government warned of potential flooding at industrial zones where companies such as Samsung Electronics Co., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. — known as Foxconn — and Luxshare Precision Industry Co. have factories. The Northern Delta area and parts of the north-central provinces will see heavy rain and thunderstorms into Wednesday, with some places getting more than 300 millimeters (12 inches), according to Vietnam's weather agency. Van Don and Cat Bi International airports in Quang Ninh and Haiphong were temporarily shut late on Monday night, with operations set to resume after Wipha makes landfall and tracks inland. Authorities in Hanoi also evacuated residents from an apartment building deemed to be particularly vulnerable to the storm's effects, local outlet VnExpress reported. Wipha developed as an area of low pressure east of the Philippines last week, before lashing Hong Kong with gale-force winds on Sunday as it tracked to the south of the city at typhoon-strength. The system then skirted mainland China, temporarily moved inland, and headed west toward Vietnam. More stories like this are available on
Mint
2 days ago
- Mint
Heat Wave Scorching Italy and Greece Tests Grids, Sparks Alerts
(Bloomberg) -- Blistering heat is sweeping across southeast Europe this week, triggering weather alerts and stressing power grids. A high-pressure system is feeding in a stream of hot air from North Africa, where temperatures in Tunisia are forecast to reach 47C (117F) on Monday. Southern Italy faces high wildfire risks, while highs in Sicily are expected to hit 43C. The Italian island set Europe's current temperature record of 48.8C in 2021. This June was the warmest on record for Western Europe, with heat waves amplified by an unusually hot western Mediterranean Sea. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events on the world's fastest-warming continent. Greece is also straining under the heat. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service expects temperatures to reach up to 43°C on the mainland and authorities have placed Athens and the wider Attica region on high wildfire alert. There were about 70 wildfires recorded across the country over the weekend. Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou convened an emergency meeting Sunday with the country's power grid and distribution network operators to ensure electricity supply remains stable amid surging demand. To protect workers, Greece's labor ministry has mandated a nationwide halt to outdoor labor between noon and 5 p.m. Monday in multiple regions. Heat across the region is getting a boost from an extremely warm Mediterranean Ocean, where temperatures are 4C above normal, data from the Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System show. Red heat alerts are also active in Serbia, which could see daytime highs near 39C, according to national forecaster RHMZ. More stories like this are available on
