Over the weekend, a heatwave that is baking Europe has prompted Italian authorities to issue an “extreme” health risk for 15 cities, including Rome and Florence.
The islands of Sicily and Sardinia could experience temperatures as high as 48°C (118.4°F), according to climate scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA), which would be “potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe.”
The public in Italy is advised to drink plenty of water, eat smaller meals, and stay out of the sun from 11 am to 6 pm.
The ESA warned that the heatwave in Europe has only just begun and that extreme weather is expected in Germany, Spain, France, and Poland at the same time that the continent is receiving a surge in tourists.
In the midst of sweltering temperatures, Greece closed the Acropolis of Athens for a second straight day on Saturday. On Friday, local police assisted a visitor who encountered difficulties.
Following the death of a 44-year-old construction worker in Italy earlier this week after collapsing on a roadside, there is increased concern for those who work outdoors.
Authorities in Spain issued a warning that the country’s typically cooler north is also being affected by the heatwave, in addition to the usual hot spots in the south, CNN reported.
Seville, Cordoba, and Granada in southern Spain have experienced temperatures that have surpassed 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Mediterranean resort island of Mallorca in Spain is also scorching, according to the country’s national weather service, with highs of 36 degrees Celsius, or 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, temperatures are reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius in Navarra, a typically mild region in the north.
Over 61,000 people perished in Europe’s searing summer heat wave last year, making heat one of the deadliest natural hazards.
Further health concerns have been raised by the current heat wave, which has been dubbed “Cerberus” by the Italian Meteorological Society after the three-headed monster from Dante’s Inferno.
This is especially true considering that it is occurring during one of the busiest times of the summer travel season in Europe.
This year’s heatwave has brought record temperatures, especially across Asia, as many countries, including India, China, Japan, and Pakistan, have seen a surge in heatwave-related deaths and hazards.
