CNN –
A scorching and deadly heatwave is sweeping Europe, bringing potentially record-breaking temperatures. It raises serious concerns about the impact on people’s health, especially as the continent sees an influx of tourists.
Parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Italy are all facing intense heat, with temperatures rising above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
“Amid an intense and prolonged heatwave, temperatures are sizzling across Europe this week. And it’s only just begun,” the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a statement.
Heat is one of the deadliest natural hazards – last year more than 61,000 people died in Europe’s scorching summer heatwave. The current heatwave – dubbed “Cerberus” by the Italian Meteorological Society after the three-headed monster from Dante’s “Inferno” – has sparked further fears for people’s health, especially as it coincides with one of Europe’s busiest summer tourism season.
In Italy, temperatures could reach record levels. According to ESA, Sardinia and Sicily are expected to be close to the current European temperature record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (nearly 120 Fahrenheit).
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On July 10, people cool off in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo.
On Friday, Italy’s health ministry issued an “extreme” health risk warning for 15 cities – including Rome and Florence – as the heatwave is expected to continue through Saturday and Sunday.
There has already been at least one fatality in Italy: On Tuesday, a 44-year-old road worker collapsed in the northern city of Lodi and died in hospital.
Several tourists collapsed from heat stroke in Rome this week, including a British tourist who passed out outside the ancient Roman Coliseum on Tuesday.
Alessandro Miani, president of the Italian Society for Environmental Medicine (SIMA), told state broadcaster RAI on Wednesday that Italy had “the sad record of being the European country with the highest number of deaths caused by heat waves”.
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In Greece, authorities said temperatures could reach 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) on Friday or Saturday.
The Greek Ministry of Culture announced that it will close the Acropolis in Athens from 12pm local time until Friday 5pm due to the heat. Police and emergency services have provided assistance to a tourist who got into trouble due to the heat on the Acropolis, police said in a tweet on Friday.
Temperatures in Athens will peak at 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) by midday, according to the Greek Weather Service forecast.
Dozens of firefighters were on duty in Croatia when a large forest fire broke out near Grebastica, a small town near the coastal town of Sbenik, CNN affiliate N1 reported.
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On July 13, a major fire broke out in the village of Grebastica in Sibenik, Croatia.
According to N1, nearly 80 firefighters with 28 fire engines were deployed Thursday to put out the blaze, supported by three Canadair firefighting planes and two air tow tractors.
Footage from the crime scene shows cars and houses destroyed in the city and according to N1 the area around Grebastica has remained without electricity. Plumes of smoke could be seen over the villages from nearby tourist beaches, Portal reported on Friday.
Temperatures across the region are expected to remain around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) into next week.
Europe is not the only place to experience extreme temperatures. A dangerous week-long heatwave in parts of the western United States is expected to worsen this weekend. More than 90 million people are under heat warning. The hottest place on earth, California’s Death Valley, could reach 54.4 degrees Celsius (130 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, National Weather Service forecasters told CNN.
A combination of man-made climate change and the arrival of the natural climate phenomenon El Niño, which has a global warming effect, is pushing temperatures to record-breaking extremes. Last month was the warmest June on record worldwide, and last week the planet experienced its hottest day on record.
As the climate crisis deepens, scientists are clear that record-breaking heatwaves will only get more frequent and intense.
Heat is called the “silent killer” because you can’t see it, but it can kill quickly. The very young, the elderly and people who have to spend long periods outdoors, such as field workers and people affected by homelessness, are particularly at risk.
The body is used to a temperature range between about 36 and 37 degrees Celsius (97 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit). If the temperature rises above this, the body sweats to cool down. But the higher the temperature, the more difficult it is to cool down – especially when it’s humid and sweat doesn’t evaporate as easily.
Heat exhaustion can occur when your body overheats. This can lead to dizziness, nausea and headaches. Heat stroke is more serious and occurs when body temperature rises to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) or more. Left untreated, it can lead to organ damage or even death.
One of the top recommendations for people to protect themselves from the heat is to stay indoors and avoid exercise during the hottest part of the day, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Stay out in the shade.
Experts advise wearing light, loose-fitting clothing, a hat, sunscreen, and drinking plenty of water even if you don’t feel thirsty, but avoiding alcohol and caffeinated beverages.
Paying attention to others is also important, according to Judith Linden, a professor in the department of emergency medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.
“If someone is experiencing lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea or a headache, it is time to act immediately. That means getting them out of the heat and into a cool environment,” she told CNN this week.