Italian holiday island set to see 48 degrees this week following Cyprus wildfires
The heatwave, dubbed the third 'African blaze' of the summer, is expected to bring record-breaking temperatures to Sicily and Sardinia throughout July and August.
The extreme heat is also expected to hit other parts of Italy, with temperatures in central regions like Rome and Florence nearing 36C, reports El País.
Authorities have warned temperatures will sit above average throughout the week, with highs of 42C expected in Italy's southern regions, such as Puglia, Basilicata, Sardinia, and Sicily.
The heatwave is expected to push temperatures close to the European record of 48.8C, which was recorded in Floridia, near Syracuse, Sicily, in August 2021, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Filippo Anelli, president of Italy's National Federation of the Orders of Physicians, ordered 'maximum attention' to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with chronic illnesses during the heatwave.
Meanwhile, northern Italy is bracing for unstable weather conditions due to the clash between incoming African heat and a low-pressure system over northern Europe.
This collision is likely to result in severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and hailstorms, particularly over the Alps and Prealps.
Europe is in the grip of an unforgiving bout of extreme weather that is battering popular holiday destinations just as British tourists prepare to head abroad for the summer.
Searing heatwaves, devastating wildfires and violent storms are sweeping the continent, threatening lives, scorching landscapes and putting emergency services under immense pressure.
Tourist hotspots in Italy and Spain are contending with several punishing blazes, with hundreds of firefighters and water-carrying aircraft dispatched to quell the flames.
Sicily battled six separate wildfires last week, with soaring temperatures leading authorities to issue red alert warnings for four provinces this week.
Sicily's Forestry Corps and Civil Protection workers were engaged last weekend as they worked to extinguish the fires, with six water-dropping aircraft drafted into control the flames.
Yesterday, two people were killed and hundreds evacuated as a massive wildfire tore through southern Cyprus, destroying homes and threatening communities amid an intense heatwave.
At least 100 square kilometres (39 square miles) was razed to the ground in a wine–producing region north of the city of Limassol, near popular tourist hotspots, after the blaze broke out around midday on Wednesday, with several fronts still active on Thursday morning.
Two people have died after they were burned alive in their car. Local reports say police are now attempting to identify the pair who were trying to escape in the vehicle. At least 10 people were injured, two of them seriously, police said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
37 minutes ago
- BBC News
How to holiday safely this summer under the Mediterranean sun
The Mediterranean is synonymous with sunshine, but intensifying heatwaves are spoiling holidays and even claiming lives. Here's how you can still enjoy its stunning destinations – safely. Georgia Fowkes considered herself a seasoned traveller. As an advisor for Altezza Travel, she was used to navigating sweltering environments, from East Africa to Southern California. But surrounded by whitewashed buildings and ancient ruins in Greece while dripping with sweat, she was miserable. "A European heatwave hits differently," she said. "The kind [of heat] that cancels your plans, fries your brain and makes you rethink why you booked a rooftop hotel in July." In recent years, many of the Mediterranean's iconically sunny destinations like Italy, Greece, France and Spain have become increasingly besieged by devastating heatwaves, leading unsuspecting tourists to come up with creative solutions to keep cool."Our hotel had AC technically, but it groaned like a dying fan and gave up by mid-afternoon," said Fowkes. "The tap water came out warm. There were no blackout curtains. I tried sleeping with a wet towel on my chest and a bottle of frozen water under my knees and still woke up dizzy. At one point, I moved my pillow to the stairwell and lay on the tiles like a Victorian fainting lady because that was the only surface remotely cool." Travellers wandering through the Mediterranean's winding alleyways and descending on its turquoise seas this summer have found little reprieve; several scorching heatwaves have already brought record-busting temperatures, leading to a spike in heat-related health problems and even deaths across Europe. "The line of the tropics has literally moved," explained Nick Cavanaugh, a climate scientist and founder of Sensible Weather, a climate risk technology company. "There are all these circulation patterns around the world and the ones that surround the tropics are actually growing." More extreme temperatures are predicted across southern Europe this weekend, just as the European holiday season comes to its peak. Dr Olalekan Otulana, a doctor at Cassiobury Court in the UK feels that tourists may be particularly susceptible to overheating, as many of the activities that travellers enjoy on holiday, such as walking tours through cobblestoned villages, long nature hikes and wine tastings, can exacerbate heat-related illnesses. "Extreme heat can be deceptively dangerous," he said. "Especially when people are on holiday and naturally more relaxed about their usual routines." Short of taking your summer holidays further north, here are some expert travel tips for enjoying the Mediterranean sunshine – safely. Choose your accommodations wisely It's not uncommon to find businesses, Airbnbs and even train stations in southern Europe that are completely without air conditioning – a fact that might take many non-European travellers by surprise. "Electricity has always been very expensive in Italy," said Andrea Moradei, founder of Vinarium, a Florence-based wine and culture tourism company. "We all grew up trying to conserve energy. You learn from a young age to only keep the windows open from late evening until 21:00. You use shutters and curtains [to keep cool during the day.]." Moradei recommended that travellers to southern Europe choose accommodations that stay cool naturally – like historical structures made of stone or brick, which were designed to absorb heat during the day, or hilltop lodgings that feature exterior shutters and cross ventilation for night-time air flow. Do as the locals do – relax after lunch The hours after lunchtime are often the hottest of the day, which offer travellers an invitation to embrace their inner Mediterranean and take a siesta, or break. "As [we do] in many Mediterranean countries, try to limit your activities in the afternoon," Moradei advised. "You can't fill your days with so many different activities because it's too hot. Take a cue from the locals… let some of the hours of the day slip away." In Spain, Italy and Greece, many shops and restaurants close after lunch (typically until 17:00) while residents retreat to the quiet of their homes. Hanging out in your hotel may seem like a waste of precious holiday time, but even a quick power nap can improve your stamina; crucial when dealing with debilitating heat. Taking a siesta doesn't have to mean sleeping, either. In Italy, the lazy post-prandial hours are referred to as the pausa pranzo (lunch break) and are seen as a way to recharge during a demanding day and, on weekends, digest an epic lunch. Catch up on your reading or plot your next meals. Smart sightseeing While it's tempting to pack in as many activities as possible on holiday – especially if you only have a few days abroad – experts recommend adopting a leisurely, energy-conserving pace and prioritising indoor activities during the worst heat of the day. When Whitney Haldeman – founder of Atlas Adventures, a luxury travel group for women – faced extreme heat on one of her trips to southern France, she said the group "shifted sightseeing to earlier in the morning, prioritised long lunches in spots with shade or aircon, built in daily rest time and leaned into slower, more sensory experiences: like wine tastings in cool cellars or floating in the hotel pool." Museums and historic churches are generally well-ventilated, so you can still come face to face with ancient relics and religious treasures without putting yourself at risk. Know the signs of heatstroke Nothing spoils a holiday like an unexpected visit to an emergency health clinic, so recognising the danger signs of heat exhaustion can be crucial. "With heat exhaustion, people may notice feeling dizzy, excessively sweating or feeling nauseous," said Dr Otulana. "If it progresses to heat stroke, symptoms become more serious and can include confusion and loss of consciousness as well as severe headache. There can also be a lack of sweating despite feeling hot. The body's temperature regulation system essentially shuts down and their temperature can rise above 40C, which risks organ damage." Otulana advises that travellers drink water regularly, even if they're feeling well. "Hydration is critical," said Dr Otulana. "So, maintain consistent fluid intake throughout the day." Haldeman recalled how her tour group frantically sought relief during their French holiday. "Hydration tablets, portable fans and breezy natural fabrics became essential," she said. "One guest brought a battery-powered fan we all envied by day two [of our trip]." It may be tempting to brush off heatstroke warnings – particularly if you are visiting the Mediterranean expressly to enjoy its famous sunshine. But "extreme heat hijacks your whole trip", Fowkes cautions after her own bout with the region's extreme weather. "I [don't] care how pretty the view is – everyone did the same shuffle: find mist machines, hide in grocery stores, count down the hours until after dark. We weren't sightseeing. We were surviving." --
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Father Christmas' official Lapland home suffers unseasonal heatwave with 31C temperatures and wildfire fears
Father Christmas ' official home village in Lapland has suffered a record-breaking heatwave, as fears mount that wildfires will ravage the area with increasing frequency. The Arctic city of Rovaniemi in northern Finland, Lapland's capital and home to Santa Claus, has been melting amid unprecedented heat in the region. Lapland, which is 500km above the Arctic Circle, has seen temperatures soar to 31C, more than 10C above the seasonal average. The level of consistent heat has never been experienced in the region before and reindeer have even been forced to flee into roads and villages to escape mosquitos. A heatwave in Finland is defined as at least three days in a row where the temperature exceeds 25C. Friday was the 14th consecutive day that temperatures climbed past 30C in the country - the first time since record began in 1961, the Finnish Meteorological Institute said. Ylitornio and Sodankylä recorded the highest temperatures of 31.7C in Lapland earlier this week, while wildfires have ripped through the wilderness north of Rovaniemi. Lapland is a sparsely populated region and fires can burn for long periods before help arrives. But emergency services responded to dozens of incidents this week, including smoke sightings, building fires, and wildfires. Some schools and nurseries have seen outdoor activities cancelled and health officials have told people to stay hydrated in Rovaniemi. The excessively hot weather has sparked added concern about climate change in the Arctic. The polar region is heating up five times quicker than the global average, the UNs intergovernmental panel on climate change said. 'Due to climate change, these sorts of heatwaves in Lapland are expected to become longer and more intensive over this century, Ville Siiskonen, of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, told The Telegraph. Finland is not alone in feeling the heat as scorching temperatures continue to boil Europe, with two people dying in Cyprus as wildfires raged through the country. The Acropolis in Athens was also closed as temperatures soared past 40C. Meanwhile, England and Spain recorded their hottest ever June's last month. The Met Office said June's mean temperature of 16.9C was a record,while Spain's average of 23.6C 'pulverised records', the national weather service Aemet said.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Secret tunnel city stretching 985ft below Rome is uncovered after vast labyrinth was sealed more than a century ago
A STUNNING piece of Rome's past has been uncovered after being sealed off more than a century ago. This network of dimly lit tunnels under the Capitoline Hill could soon become the latest attraction in the history-rich city. 5 5 5 5 "No one has seen these caves and tunnels for more than a century," archaeologist Ersilia D'Ambrosio told CNN. The secret underground city covers some 42,000 square feet under the Ancient Roman Forum - and reaches depths of 985 feet below the surface. Known as the Grottino del Campidoglio, these tunnels were mostly sealed off nearly a century ago on the orders of dictator Benito Mussolini. But work is now underway that will see them become another must-visit site for Rome's tourists. It is expected to be open for visitors from late 2026 or early 2027, CNN has reported. Before they were sealed off, the tunnel network had been an integral part of the city since the days of Ancient Rome. They were further developed in the Middle Ages and were in use as recently as the 1920s. "The area has never before been opened to the public as it will be," D'Ambrosio told CNN. "It was utilised by the population, used as warehouses, shops, taverns, but never as a site to visit as it will be." The tunnels bear signs of the one thriving communities they housed, including shops, taverns and restaurants. Some parts of the network are lined with bricks, which the broadcaster says shows signs of development and use in the 19th century. Work to make the tunnels ready to receive tourists and visitors is currently underway. Archaeologists had used laser scanning to map the spaces through out the vast complex. "The proposed interventions are aimed, on the one hand, at safeguarding the monument, through the restoration and safety of the structures, and, on the other, at enhancing its accessibility and usability, which is currently extremely limited," a spokesperson for project lead Insula architecture group said. "The Campidoglio Grottoes project envisions conservative restoration and enhancement of the underground passageways and cavities that wind through the hill, crossing it in various directions and on multiple levels." This work includes managing the release radon gas, which comes from the area's volcanic rock. It will see specialist filters installed at the site to ensure it is safe. There will also be a museum space on the upper level, as well as disabled access for visitors. Artefacts that were discovered during past excavations are being brought down to the complex so they can be studied there. "To an archaeologist everything is interesting," D'Ambrosia told CNN. The tunnels are believed to have had a wide range of uses throughout their long and fascinating history. They are said to have first been used as stone quarries and then as water cisterns - before featuring residential and commercial structures. In one part of the tunnels, it is even possible to see the foundations of the Temple of Jupiter. 5
