Latest news with #Janeth
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Climate
- Qatar Tribune
Southern Europe swelters as heatwave spreads
Health and fire warnings have been issued in countries across southern Europe, with temperatures expected to exceed 40°C in some places over the weekend. Italy, Greece, France, Spain and Portugal are among the countries affected - with the Spanish city of Seville forecast to hit 40°C on Sunday. Hot air from North Africa, which is spreading across the Balkans to holiday destinations such as Croatia, is contributing to the soaring temperatures. BBC Weather says the heatwave is 'very intense' for this time of the year - with the continent normally experiencing such high temperatures in July and early August. In Spain, emergency staff have been placed on standby to deal with a surge in heatstroke cases especially among vulnerable people, including children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. 'It always gets super hot in Madrid, what surprises me is how early it's happening - we're still in June,' Marina, 22, told the Reuters news agency in the Spanish capital. 'This year is extreme. Last year, at least you could go out at this hour, but now? No way. It's intense, and people are drinking more water,' Janeth, 47, said. Italian authorities are advising residents in several cities, including Rome, Milan and Venice - where several A-list celebrities have gathered for the wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and TV presenter Lauren Sanchez - to stay indoors between 11am and 6pm local time. 'There is no wind, a lot of humidity, we are sweating, and I'm suffocating at night,' Alejandra Echeverria, a 40-year-old Mexican tourist in Venice, told AFP. France, meanwhile, has been experiencing a heatwave for more than a week. Orange heat alerts, the country's second-highest warning, were issued for southern regions on Friday. In the city of Marseille, municipal swimming pools are being opened free of charge until the end of the heatwave, while there have been calls in some places for schools to close to protect the health of students. Yellow and amber alerts are also in place for parts of England this weekend, and temperatures in London may reach 35°C on Monday. The heatwave is forecast to last until Tuesday evening. Wildfires have already struck some parts of Europe, including Greece, where coastal towns near the capital Athens erupted in flames that destroyed homes - forcing people to evacuate. While it is hard to link individual extreme weather events to climate change, heatwaves are becoming more common and more intense due to climate change. Scientists at World Weather Attribution, who analyse the influence of climate change on extreme weather events, say June heatwaves with three consecutive days above 28°C are about 10 times more likely to occur now compared to pre-industrial times. (Agencies)
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Climate
- RTÉ News
Heatwave warning for tourist hotspots amid highs of 40C
Tourist hotspots around Europe are facing the first major heatwave of the summer with extreme temperature warnings in place in Spain, while Greece has seen highs in excess of 40C with authorities advising people to stay indoors. The Spanish weather agency AEMET has warned of extreme temperatures exceeding 40C across much of the country this weekend. In Madrid the usually busy streets are dotted with residents and tourists seeking relief from the heat, with a severe high temperature warning in place. Some on the streets were carrying portable fans, with others resting in the shade or under water sprinklers installed in public areas. For some residents, the heat has become a daily struggle. "Honestly, it's tough," says Marina, a 22-year-old marketing intern. "There's no sea here, barely any pools in Madrid. You sweat so much, it's just unpleasant." Janeth, a 47-year-old street vendor, described the heat as "exhausting" and says it forced her to change jobs. "My previous work was unbearable. I even felt dizzy from the heat" As the sun reflects off the city's buildings and umbrellas bloom across plazas, the early arrival of such extreme heat has taken many by surprise. "It always gets hot in Madrid," Marina added, "but for it to be this intense in June? That's shocking." Barcelona City Council meanwhile has activated a heat plan as a preventative measure until mid-September to make municipal resources and air-conditioned spaces available to citizens over the summer period. People in Greece advised to stay indoors Temperatures in Greece yesterday surpassed 40C with authorities advising the public to stay indoors. At the Acropolis in Athens scores of tourists endured the heat with the help of hats, fans and umbrellas while air-conditioned centres were made available to the public to find refuge until the evening. Authorities set up a hotline for anyone requiring medical advice due to the heat. They also advised residents not to throw out rubbish during peak heat hours in the middle of the day, to stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, and to restrict their movements. Authorities also banned outdoor work for builders and delivery staff from 9am to 2pm local time, and encouraged remote working. At the city's homeless animal shelter four-legged friends enjoyed dips in the dog pool to keep cool. The fire brigade said it was on standby and warned of a high risk of fires in central and southern Greece. On Thursday, a wildfire in a coastal town south of Athens damaged homes. Meteorologists said temperatures will start to dip on the weekend. Greece has often experienced hot and dry summers, but longer and more severe heatwaves have been more frequent in recent years along with wildfires amid a changing climate. In the UK, temperatures could hit 30C amid the second amber heat health alert in two weeks. Yesterday, temperatures reached 29C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, and the weather is forecast to climb over the next couple of days, according to the Met Office. It comes as a second amber heat health alert in two weeks came into force yesterday. The alert, which covers London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England, will last until 6pm on Tuesday. Ireland meanwhile is not expected to experience such highs anytime soon. Cloudy, damp and humid conditions will linger this afternoon further south and east with highest temperatures of 17 to 22C expected.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Climate
- RTÉ News
Europe faces first major heatwave of summer
Countries around Europe are facing the first major heatwave of the summer, with the Spanish weather agency AEMET warning of extreme temperatures exceeding 40C across much of the country this weekend. In Madrid the usually busy streets are dotted with residents and tourists seeking relief, some carrying portable fans, others resting in the shade or under water sprinklers installed in public areas. Swings hang empty in sun-scorched playgrounds, while vendors do brisk business selling cold drinks under the blazing sun. For residents, the heat has become a daily struggle. "Honestly, it's tough," says Marina, a 22-year-old marketing intern. "There's no sea here, barely any pools in Madrid. You sweat so much, it's just unpleasant." Janeth, a 47-year-old street vendor, describes the heat as "exhausting" and says it forced her to change jobs. "My previous work was unbearable. I even felt dizzy from the heat" As the sun reflects off the city's buildings and umbrellas bloom across plazas, the early arrival of such extreme heat has taken many by surprise. "It always gets hot in Madrid," Marina adds, "but for it to be this intense in June? That's shocking." Meanwhile, Barcelona City Council has activated in preventive phase, until 15 September, its Heat Plan and the Climate Shelter Network to make municipal resources and air-conditioned spaces available to citizens during this period. Included in this space are the children's play areas with water in public parks. People in Greece advised to stay indoors Temperatures in Greece yesterday surpassed 40C with authorities advising the public to stay indoors. At the Acropolis in Athens scores of tourists endured the heat with the help of hats, fans and umbrellas while air-conditioned centres were made available to the public to find refuge until the evening. Authorities set up a hotline for anyone requiring medical advice due to the heat. They also advised residents not to throw out rubbish during peak heat hours in the middle of the day, to stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, and to restrict their movements. Authorities also banned outdoor work for builders and delivery staff from 9am to 2pm local time, and encouraged remote working. At the city's homeless animal shelter four-legged friends enjoyed dips in the dog pool to keep cool. The fire brigade said it was on standby and warned of a high risk of fires in central and southern Greece. On Thursday, a wildfire in a coastal town south of Athens damaged homes. Meteorologists said temperatures will start to dip on the weekend. Greece has often experienced hot and dry summers, but longer and more severe heatwaves have been more frequent in recent years along with wildfires amid a changing climate. In the UK, temperatures could hit 30C amid the second amber heat health alert in two weeks. Yesterday, temperatures reached 29C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, and the weather is forecast to climb over the next couple of days, according to the Met Office. It comes as a second amber heat health alert in two weeks came into force yesterday. The alert, which covers London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England, will last until 6pm on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Ireland is not expected to be affected by the heatwave. Cloudy, damp and humid conditions will linger this afternoon further south and east with highest temperatures of 17 to 22C expected.
