Regions of the United States, Europe, Japan and other parts of the world are experiencing record heats of over 40°C. Local authorities have taken drastic action against the threat of extreme temperatures, a concrete example of the threat posed by climate change. In Greece, even one of the main tourist spots has limited opening hours. In the United States, it can reach 54°C in Death Valley on Sunday the 16th.
In ItalyThe Ministry of Health has issued a red alert for several cities in the center of the country. Temperatures in Rome are expected to remain between 3637C from Sunday and rise in the coming days to 4243C on Tuesday, beating the August 2007 record of 40.5C.
The Italian Meteorological Center said people should prepare for “the most intense heatwave of the summer and one of the most intense on record”. Doctors are already mobilized across the country to care for people who may be suffering from dehydration.
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
1 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Armin Weigel / DPA / AFP ▲ 2 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Mohssen Assanimoghaddam / DPA / AFP ▲ 3 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Emilio Morenatti / AP ▲ 4 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Emilio Morenatti / AP ▲ 5 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Andreas Solaro / AFP ▲ 6 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Andreas Solaro / AFP ▲ 7 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Boris Horvat / AFP ▲ 8 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Philippe Huguen / AFP ▲ 9 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Eric Gaillard / Portal ▲ 10 | 10
Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave
Photo: Eric Gaillard / Portal ▲
In Spainwarned the local weather agency this Saturday of the arrival of a new heat wave between Monday and Wednesday.
The country has just finished a week characterized by extremely high temperatures, above 40°C, particularly in the Canary Islands and Andalusia.
This Saturday there was a fire on the Spanish island of La Palma It has already burned more than 2,000 hectares, forcing parts of a town of 2,500 people to flee their homes.
in the east of Franceat Germany and further Poland Heat waves are also recorded.
In GreeceThe Acropolis of Athens remains closed on Sunday for the third straight day during the hottest hours. The country is experiencing a heatwave reaching 40°C in some regions.
The most visited monument in the country, which was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, was banned from receiving visitors to protect tourists and also the employees working on site.
A new heat wave could hit the country from next Thursday, the National Observatory of Athens has warned.
In the United Statesan intense heat wave is stretching from California to Texas and a rise in temperatures is expected this weekend.
Extreme heat has hit millions in the southwestern states this week, putting the elderly, construction workers, delivery workers and homeless at risk.
According to the United States National Weather Service (NWS), Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, recorded above 43 degrees Celsius for the 15th straight day on Friday.
California is struggling with wildfires as temperatures rise. Photo: DAVID MCNEW/AFP Photo: DAVID MCNEW/AFP
Death Valley in California, one of the hottest places on earth, could also reach new maximum temperatures of up to 54 °C on Sunday. There are several wildfires in Southern California.
in Asiasome regions of the ChinaIn China, including in the capital Beijing, there have been periods of intense heat with heavy rainfall for weeks.
in japan, Temperatures of 38°C and 39°C are expected on Sunday and Monday. In the city of Akita, heavy rain caused at least one landslide and forced 9,000 people to flee their homes.
According to the European agency Copernicus and the US Ocean and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA), last month was the hottest June on record worldwide.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the first week of July was the hottest on record. Heat is also one of the deadliest weather events, according to the WMO.
Tourists in Greece, where visiting hours are limited due to the heat. Photo: Petros Giannakouris/AP Photo Photo: Petros Giannakouris/AP Photo
Extreme heat caused the deaths of 60,000 people in Europe in 2022, with 18,000 dying in Italy, the hardesthit country, according to a study published Monday in Nature Medicine. The heat wave also increases the risk of fire.
In Greece, where severe forest fires broke out in 2021 due to an extraordinary heat wave, the authorities warned of a high risk of forest fires.
In North America, this summer was marked by a series of weather catastrophes. Smoke from more than 500 wildfires in Canada led to several episodes of air pollution affecting much of the US, including New York, in June.
What is a heat wave?
According to the WMO, a heat wave is a period of statistically unusually hot weather that lasts for several days and nights. They occur when a highpressure system develops over a large area, pushing air down and trapping warm air near the ground. In this way, this hot air collects at the earth’s surface without being able to escape into the previous atmosphere.
Scientists say the frequency and intensity of the current heat waves are increasing faster in Europe than virtually anywhere else in the world. The forecast assumes that this summer will be worse than the previous one due to El Niño, a natural weather phenomenon forming for the first time in four years that favors conditions for rising temperatures.
The WMO also points out that heat waves can be exacerbated by air pollution or forest fires. Global warming also plays a role, with temperatures on average about 1.1°C warmer than they were in the late 19th century, before emissions of carbon dioxide and other heattrapping gases spread into the atmosphere. /AFP