Record Heat Wave in Italy, Spain, and Greece: Stay Cool with Our Tips and Photos

2023-07-17 10:05:39

Montag, 17.07.2023, 10:05

A record heat wave is currently in full swing across much of the Mediterranean region. Southeastern Spain, Italy and Greece are particularly affected. Highs of between 35 and 45 degrees are the order of the day here at the moment. The peak is expected between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Rome, Athens – Italy is facing a new heat wave. “Caronte” – Charon, the mythological ferryman to Hades – is the name given by meteorologists to the African high pressure area that will bring Italy temperatures peaking at around 40 degrees. Southern Italy is particularly affected by the heat. Red alert has been declared for Rome, Bologna and Florence. The heat wave is expected to last all week.

Maximum temperatures of 42 degrees are forecast for Rome in the coming days. In parts of Sardinia and Sicily it can possibly get even hotter – there is talk of up to 48 degrees.

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Meteorologist Mattia Gussoni explained that the rise in temperature was due to a wave of hot air coming straight from Africa. The African high pressure area acts like a protective shield over Italy and prevents the penetration of cooler currents. The situation in Sardinia’s capital Cagliari and the surrounding area is worrying.

The sultriness will continue to weigh heavily on people at least until Wednesday. A respite from the heatwave is expected in the north between Thursday and Friday. Then some thunderstorms should cool down.

High alert for parts of Andalucia

Also in Spain locals and tourists alike groan from the heat. The second official heat wave of this summer had barely subsided following four days on Thursday when the national weather service Aemet announced a new heat wave. Between Monday and Wednesday there will be temperatures of 42 to 44 degrees, it said. Aemet declared the highest alert level for parts of Andalusia in southern Spain from Monday. But the 40-degree mark should also be reached or exceeded in other regions of the country, for example in Madrid.

Aemet warned that the heat, often accompanied by low humidity, is “soaring” the risk of wildfires. On the Canary Island of La Palma, a fire was fought on Sunday that had destroyed almost 4700 hectares in a single day. That roughly corresponds to around 6,500 soccer fields. More than 4000 people had to be brought to safety.

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Short breather in Greece

In Greece North winds set in on Sunday and the temperature dropped to below 40 degrees in almost all regions of the holiday country. On Saturday, among other things, record-breaking temperatures of 44.2 degrees were measured on the holiday island of Crete.

However, there is no end in sight to the heat wave. From Wednesday the temperature will rise once more, said a meteorologist on state radio. Next weekend it should be 44 degrees hot in Athens. Because of the extreme drought and the winds, the risk of forest fires is very high, warned the civil defense.

The sea is not really cool at the moment either: people are bathing at Alimos Beach near Athens.

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In Bulgaria there was a short relaxation at the weekend – the temperatures hardly rose above 40 degrees Celsius. In the capital Sofia it was 34 degrees. However, according to meteorologists, the sweltering heat will have the Balkan country firmly under control once more from Monday. The 40-degree mark should then be broken – for example in the Danube town of Russe and in Sandanski near the Greek border.

The worrying trend for the next two weeks is that the extreme heat is unlikely to abate, it said. The fire brigade is already warning of forest and wildfires.

Water shortage in Istanbul

Also in the Türkiye the weather service warned of extreme heat in the coming days. Temperatures of more than 40 degrees are expected in the Antalya holiday region. It also remains extremely hot in the regions of southern Turkey that were destroyed by the earthquake in February. The weather service warned older people and children in particular to be particularly careful between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, water supplies are shrinking in the metropolis of Istanbul. The city’s reservoirs are only 41 percent full, the responsible authority said. This is the lowest level this time of year in nine years. (TT.com, APA, dpa)

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