The heat wave is affecting southern Europe: in Italy, the highest alert level applies to several cities and, according to the regional meteorological service, a maximum temperature of 41.8 degrees was recorded in Rome. In Greece, firefighters continue to fight wildfires.
The heat in the Mediterranean continued today. According to data from the meteorological service of the Lazio region, a maximum temperature of 41.8 degrees was recorded in the Italian capital, Rome, at noon. The civil defense had sent volunteers to the streets of the city to distribute bottles of water to tourists and residents in popular places and attractions. Many people also refresh themselves in the numerous fountains. An app (“Waidy WOW”) can be used to find 50,000 drinking water points in the city.
The “Caronte” high pressure area also brought high temperatures to the rest of Italy. The Italian Ministry of Health on Wednesday declared the highest heat alert level for 20 larger cities and for 23. That means healthy people could also face negative physical effects there.
The 40 degree mark has been broken in parts of the southern Italian regions of Apulia, Basilicata and Calabria. The current high pressure area has also had an impact on the temperatures of the large Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Sicily. Inland in Sicily, 43 degrees have been measured in certain areas and as high as 44 degrees in parts of southern Sardinia. In comparison, it was a little more bearable in the areas around the cities of Florence and Bologna with 37 to 38 degrees.
Red heat alert in parts of Spain
Also in Spain, authorities issued the highest red alert for parts of the country in view of the most severe heat wave so far this year. It is valid in the regions of Catalonia and Aragon, as well as in the Balearic Islands. The Spanish meteorological agency Aemet expected temperatures of up to 44 degrees throughout the day. Extreme temperatures had already occurred in the center and south of the country on Monday – with a peak of 44.9 degrees in the Andalusian Andujar.
Because of the heat, the Interior Ministry has warned of a “very high to extreme” risk of fires across the country, but especially on the Canary island of La Palma. The fire brigade has been battling a massive forest fire since Saturday. According to the authorities in La Palma burned almost 3,500 hectares of land, about 4,000 people had to temporarily leave their homes. In the meantime, however, the situation is calming down, as announced in the morning by the head of local civil protection, Manuel Miranda. However, due to poor air quality, authorities have urged residents in several locations to cut back on outdoor activities and wear protective masks.
Fighting forest fires near Athens
In Greece, firefighters continue to fight several wildfires near Athens. A large fire raged most violently in the forested area of Dervenohoria, about 50 kilometers north of the Greek capital. But the fire also continued to burn in the beach area south of Athens, where many residents had to leave their homes the night before – as well as near the seaside resort of Loutraki, near Corinth.
Several houses were damaged there and additional evacuations were ordered. Police spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou said several roads had been closed so that firefighters could reach the fire faster. Fires are favored by heat and drought. Forecasters were expecting up to 44 degrees Celsius in parts of Greece on Thursday.
“All civil defense forces fought the fires all night,” said fire brigade spokesman Yannis Artopios. “The first priority was the protection of human life.” But the emergency services also tried to protect important public infrastructure and private homes. To help Greek firefighters, the EU activated its civil protection mechanism, Artopios said. Four Canadair firefighting planes from France and Italy are to be sent to Greece as reinforcements.
After a relatively wet and cold spring, Greece’s first major wildfires this year broke out on Monday. Civil protection had already warned over the weekend: After several days with temperatures above 40 degrees and a longer dry period, the risk of forest fires was very high.