Italy’s health ministry issued the highest level of heat alert for 12 cities on Tuesday, in anticipation of the sweltering heatwave flowing in from Africa, set to push temperatures beyond 40 degrees. The worst of it is yet to come.
Record-smashing temperatures have been noted in Croatia, whereby the Adriatic Sea reached just below 30 degrees at Dubrovnik, Serbia’s top tourist attraction known for its enchanting medieval city walls.
Due to the blistering conditions, Serbia’s state power enterprise witnessed all-time high usage on Tuesday, as a result of extensive air conditioning utilisation.
Emergency prevention squads in Southern European and Balkan cities are receiving requests for water-bombing aircrafts, such as Canadairs, to tackle wildfires spreading across southern Italy and Northern Macedonia. Among these cities, numerous precautions have been taken to care for the senior citizens.
A switch from the sunlight-filled weekend to a week of rain is expected soon as parts of Southern Europe continue to roast under the relentless heatwave. Meanwhile, the ongoing wet summer in Ireland may experience a brief hiatus over the weekend.
Carmen Diaz, a holidaymaker from Madrid, Spain, commented on the scorching heat in Rome, stating, “It’s unbearably hot. We have fans to help, but it’s simply scorching.”
Greek municipal bodies have opened public access to air-conditioned areas. In the sweltering afternoon heat, reaching close to 40 degrees, certain outdoor tasks such as manual labour, construction, and deliveries were prohibited.
In the next couple of days, the heat is expected to intensify, with temperatures forecasted to touch 42 degrees in various countries. As per Spain’s national weather service, the mercury might climb up to 44 in the southern basin of the Guadalquivir river.
Rome’s zoo has arranged for Popsicles for the animals to provide some relief against the potential temperatures of more than 38 degrees.
In Albania, where the mercury is predicted to touch 42 degrees, a 72-year-old man was found dead on his farm in Memaliaj, approximately 200km south of Tirana, with the cause of death believed to be the menacing heat.
The high temperatures coupled with winds have been fuelling wildfires across different regions from the south to the north for the past few weeks.
Amid a relatively cool 34 degrees, the municipality of Istanbul in Turkey issued a warning against heat on Tuesday, encouraging people, particularly women who are pregnant, the elderly, children, and the medically venerable to refrain from going out between the hours of 10 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon. They anticipate that the temperatures in Istanbul will remain slightly above the general norms for this time of year until the 28th of July, and recommended that residents stay hydrated and opt for light or cotton clothing.
This is the second time this month that North Macedonia has experienced a heatwave, with temperatures soaring up to 42 degrees. About 200 wildfires have been reported in the country from the start of the month, causing harm to a firefighter. The government has consequently declared a state of crisis for a month.
The previous week saw Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia face temperatures around 40 degrees, with the Bosnian town of Mostar documenting this high for six days in a row. Weather experts suggest the heatwave was set to be at its highest on Tuesday and gradually reduce by the week’s end.
Romania and its neighbouring country Moldova are facing a severe heatwave which started last week, with temperature in both countries’ capitals, Bucharest and Chisinau respectively surpassing 40 degrees.
In Italy, the service for civil protection declared that they received 18 calls on Monday to put out wildfires that were spreading across numerous southern regions. The health ministry gave a red alert for heat, the grimmest state of heat emergency, in 12 cities, from Trieste in the North to Rome in the centre.
The warning applies to all of the populace of the cities in question, urging them to stay inside during the day’s hottest periods and to avoid vigorous outdoor physical activities and heavy meals.
Palermo, located in Sicily, is expected to be added to the list of cities under a red warning on Wednesday, as reported by the health ministry.
Likewise, much of Greece witnessed a heatwave that is anticipated to persist till the end of the week, with a forecast of temperatures as high as 42 degrees in some regions. The heatwave is expected to be at its peak on Wednesday and Thursday, most notably impacting the central, western and northern regions of Greece, where temperatures could elevate to 43 degrees.