Roma.-Twelve Italian cities were on high alert for excessive heat on Tuesday as a blast of hot air from Africa scorched southern Europe, sending temperatures soaring to more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) with forecasts that the worst was yet to come.
Municipal authorities in several cities across southern Europe and the Balkans took measures to protect elderly people, while civil defense crews were asked to dispatch aircraft to spray water on wildfires in southern Italy and North Macedonia.
“It’s so hot,” said Carmen Diaz, a tourist from Madrid who used a fan to cool off in Rome. “These fans help a little, but it’s really hot.”
In Greece, authorities made air-conditioned centres available to the public. Certain outdoor jobs were banned, such as manual labour, shipping and construction, during the hottest period of the day when temperatures reached 40°C.
Temperatures of 42C are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday in several countries. Spain’s meteorological service said temperatures might reach 44C in the Guadalquivir river basin in the south of the country in the coming days.
Rome’s zoo has made plans to give ice lollies to animals in the coming days, when temperatures are expected to reach 38°C.
“It feels like we’re in an oven with a hairdryer on our faces,” said Patrizia Valerio, who had just arrived in Rome from Varese for the band’s final concert on Tuesday night.
Another concertgoer, Mattia Rossi, offered a more reflective comment, noting that the sudden storms that hit Italy earlier this summer are evidence of how climate change is wreaking havoc on weather systems in the southern Mediterranean.
“These are all symptoms of a planet that is suffering, in my opinion,” he said.
In Albania, where temperatures were expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius, a 72-year-old man was found dead on his farm in Memaliaj, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the capital Tirana, apparently from the heat, the Panorama website reported. There was no immediate confirmation from authorities.
In Tirana, streets and cafes were almost empty and the few people walking around used umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. High temperatures and strong winds were fanning fires from south to north.
Even with temperatures at a relatively mild 34 degrees Celsius (94 degrees Fahrenheit), Istanbul Municipality issued a heat warning on Tuesday, advising citizens — especially the elderly, pregnant women, children and those in poor health — to avoid going outside between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It added that temperatures were expected to remain 3 to 6 degrees above normal levels until July 28, and advised people to drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly.
For the second time this month, North Macedonia has been hit by a heatwave with temperatures of 42°C. Some 200 forest fires have been raging in the country since the beginning of the month, with one firefighter injured. The government has declared a state of crisis.Clarín.
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2024-07-19 15:13:28
