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First Post
01-07-2025
- Climate
- First Post
Europe is sweltering. Should holidaymakers ditch their plans?
An intense heatwave has scorched Europe with many tourist destinations recording temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Heat warning alerts have been issued in some countries including France and the UK. So, is Europe safe to visit? Or should travellers reconsider their plans? read more People sit around a fountain in the Tuileries gardens during a heat wave, July 1, 2025 in Paris. AP A heatwave is sizzling Europe, with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius in some tourist destinations. Several countries, including France and Spain, have issued heat warning alerts. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that extreme heat is the 'new normal'. 'The planet is getting hotter & more dangerous — no country is immune,' he said from Seville, Spain, on Monday afternoon, while reiterating calls to tackle climate change. As extreme temperatures scorch much of Europe, a dilemma has arisen for holidaymakers about whether to continue their travel plans or not. Let's take a look. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Heatwave sears Europe A heatwave scorched Europe for a second day, leading to health warnings and alerts about wildfire risks. France issued a red alert – the highest extreme heat warning – for 16 places, including Paris. Amid the severe heatwave, as many as 1,350 schools across France were fully or partially shut on Tuesday (July 1), reported The Guardian. The top of the Eiffel Tower, a popular tourist destination in Paris, was also closed for the day. Tourists visiting the French city are tweaking their plans according to the weather. 'We were going to do a bike tour today actually, but we decided because it was gonna be so warm not to do the bike tour,' Andrea Tyson, 46, who was visiting Paris from New Philadelphia, Ohio, told Independent. In Spain, Barcelona recorded its hottest month of June on Monday. Many southern cities, including Seville, continued to record temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Spain's national weather service has warned there might be no respite until Thursday. Wildfires are still ravaging Turkey's western region, with over 50,000 people evacuated to safe zones. A rise in temperatures, dry weather and powerful winds have sparked 342 fires across the country. Amid an intense heatwave, two people have died in Italy. A 47-year-old died in Bologna after falling ill at a construction site. A 70-year-old drowned in Bardonecchia, a tourist resort, after being swept away in flash flooding. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Regional governments in northwestern Liguria and southern Sicily in Italy have put restrictions on outdoor work during peak heat hours. It is also very hot in Greece. However, mercury has not reached record highs after temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius over the weekend. Portugal recorded its highest-ever June temperature of 46.6 degrees Celsius on Sunday, AFP reported, citing the national weather service. Temperatures in southern Germany were predicted to reach 39 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. The United Kingdom recorded its hottest day of the year, with Frittenden, Kent, recording 33.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its amber heat health alerts for Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the East of England, London, the South East and the South West until Wednesday morning. Is it safe to travel to Europe? As extreme heat grips Europe, travellers are at an increased risk of heat-related issues. The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) notes that 'intense heat can be dangerous'. It warns that heatwaves could lead to dehydration, overheating and heatstroke. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Climate change is 'likely to see the number and intensity of heatwaves increase', Independent reported, citing TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). But if tourists take 'sensible precautions', many health risks associated with extreme temperatures can be reduced. 'Travellers should be aware that heatwaves may place local health services under additional pressure as, for example, the demand for care may increase or there may be disruption to power and water supplies,' it said. Elderly people, babies and young children are more vulnerable to hot weather. The travellers with underlying health issues and pregnant women are also at risk. 'Hot weather can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, lung problems and other diseases,' as per the health authority. Are travel plans to Europe changing? Europe has witnessed sweltering temperatures in recent years, with over 47,000 heat-related deaths reported in 2023 alone, as per the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). As summers get too hot, tourists are reconsidering their travel plans to destinations with high temperatures. A report published in April by the European Travel Commission (ETC) found that 81 per cent of Europeans said they changed their holiday plans due to factors related to climate change. Nearly a third are opting for places with milder weather. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Climate change is known to have triggered frequent and intense heatwaves around the world. The World Meteorological Organisation says that Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth. People use umbrellas in hot weather to shelter from the sun while walking past the Colosseum, in Rome, June 30, 2025. AP According to a recent survey by travel insurance company Insureandgo of 2,000 British adults, three in four believe some European holiday spots will be too hot to travel to within the next five years. Bas Amelung, a professor in environmental systems analysis at Wageningen University, told BBC that some parts of Europe might become too hot for several people in the future. 'Countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey that currently attract the traditional 'sun and sand' summer tourists are likely to become too hot for comfort in the summer,' he said. Amelung said that even if the temperature does not shoot up much in the short term, people's perception may dictate where they will travel. 'People take decisions based on their perceptions,' he explained. 'So if a large majority of holidaymakers thinks some European destinations will soon be 'too hot', they may well start adapting, either by going somewhere else in summer or by going to the same place in another season.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Amid extreme heat in summer, some people have started travelling to Europe in other seasons, such as spring and winter. Industry experts told BBC that tourists are also visiting less traditional destinations in Europe during summer breaks. 'There is an increased emphasis on travel to northern destinations, with more routes to Iceland, Norway and Finland than ever… spreading tourism more evenly,' according to Simon Calder, a journalist and broadcaster on BBC's The Travel Show. While holiday patterns are shifting, it is not happening on a large scale. Those who have young kids still make their plans as per their children's summer holidays, Prof Amelung said. However, as temperatures soar, sea levels rise and storms become more intense, can holiday plans remain unaffected for long? Only time will tell. With inputs from agencies
New Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Spain records 46C as Europe grapples with scorching heat; 'no longer a rare event,' warns UN
Portuguese authorities issued a red heat warning Monday for seven of 18 districts as temperatures were forecast to hit 43 degrees Celsius (more than 109F). The first heatwave of the year has gripped Spain since the weekend and no relief is expected until Thursday, Spain's national weather service said Monday. The country appeared to hit a new high for June on Saturday when 46 degrees C (114 F) was tallied in the southern province of Huelva. In France, which was almost entirely sweltering in the heatwave on Monday and where air conditioning remains relatively rare, local and national authorities were taking extra effort to care for homeless and elderly people and people working outside. Some tourists were putting off plans for some rigorous outdoor activities. "We were going to do a bike tour today actually, but we decided because it was gonna be so warm not to do the bike tour," said Andrea Tyson, 46, who was visiting Paris from New Philadelphia, Ohio, on Sunday. Misting stations doused passers-by along the Seine in the French capital. France's first significant forest fires of the season consumed 400 hectares (988 acres) of woods Sunday and Monday in the Aude region in the south. Water-dumping planes and some 300 firefighters were mobilized, the regional emergency service said. Tourists were evacuated from one campground in the area. In Turkey, forest fires fanned by strong winds damaged some holiday homes in Izmir's Doganbey region and forced the temporary closure of the airport in Izmir, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Authorities evacuated four villages as a precaution, the Forestry Ministry said. In Italy, the Health Ministry put 21 cities under its level three "red" alert, which indicates "emergency conditions with possible negative effects" on healthy, active people as well as at-risk old people, children and chronically ill people. Regional governments in northwestern Liguria and southern Sicily in Italy put restrictions on outdoor work, such as construction and agricultural labor, during the peak heat hours. The mercury was rising farther north, too. Britain's national weather service, the Met Office, said the Wimbledon Championships were facing what could be their hottest start on record — with temperatures of just under 30 degrees Celsius (about 85 Fahrenheit) recorded at the nearby Kew Gardens. Tennis enthusiasts fanned themselves or sought shade from the blazing sun as the first day of matches got underway at the All England Club on Monday. Tournament rules allow players to take a 10-minute break when the heat hits 30.1 degrees Celsius or more in mid-match. In southern Germany, temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) were expected on Monday, and they were forecast to creep higher until midweek – going as high as 39 degrees (102F) on Wednesday. Some German towns and regions imposed limits on how much water can be taken from rivers and lakes.
