Southern Europeans are enduring this summer’s first heatwave, with climate change pushing thermometers on the world’s fastest-warming continent into the red.
Parts of the continent have already begun to feel the heat, and temperatures in other parts are expected to climb over the next few days.
In Rome, temperatures are set to rise to 37 degrees Celsius, driving the Eternal City’s many tourists and pilgrims towards the Italian capital’s 2,500 public fountains for refreshment.
With residents of the southern French port city of Marseille expected to have to cope with temperatures flirting with 40C, the city’s authorities have ordered public swimming pools to be free of charge to help residents beat the Mediterranean heat.
Two-thirds of Portugal will be on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires, with 42C expected in the capital Lisbon.
While visitors to — and protesters against — Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos’s wedding in Venice are likewise sweltering under the summer sun.
Activists brave the heat to protest against Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos’s three-day wedding celebrations in Venice. (AP: Antonio Calanni)
“There is no wind, a lot of humidity,” Alejandra Echeverria, a 40-year-old Mexican tourist in Venice, said on Saturday.
“We are sweating and I’m suffocating at night.”
“I try not to think about it, but I drink a lot of water and never stay still because that’s when you get sunstroke,” Sriane Mina, an Italian student, said the day before.
Scientists have long warned that humanity’s burning of fossil fuels is heating up the world, with Europe’s ever-hotter summers a direct result.
Europe’s heatwave is forecast to become even more intense on Sunday.
Spain, which has in past years seen a series of deadly summer blazes, is expecting peak temperatures in excess of 40C across most of the country.
Outdoor work ban
Farmer Manuel Jimenez, 70, and his friend Juan Mariscal lead donkeys out of the searing Spanish sun. (Reuters: Jon Nazca)
According to the Spanish meteorological agency, temperatures may even register 42C in some areas, including the Guadalquivir, Guadiana, and Tagus regions.
The past three years have been the hottest in Spain’s history.
With peaks of 39C expected in Palermo, Sicily has ordered a ban on outdoor work in the hottest hours of the day, as has the Liguria region in northern Italy.
The country’s trade unions are campaigning to extend the measure to other parts of the country.
In Nice, where the mercury hit 33C at midday on Saturday, residents and tourists sought refuge in misted parks and museums.
“We’re not going to stay cooped up all day,” one retiree said while resting in the shaded Promenade du Paillon, a central greenway.
Families with young children flocked to water jets and cooling sprays.
A girl plays in a fountain as a heatwave hits Athens. (Reuters: Stelios Misinas)
“We live in a city-centre flat without a pool, and the sea is tricky with a two-year-old,” Florence Oleari, a 35-year-old GP, said.
At the Albert I garden, organisers of a triathlon scheduled to be held on Sunday briefed 4,000 competitors on emergency measures, including ice stations and electrolyte stations.
“If I feel unwell, I’ll stop,” said Frederic Devroye, a participant who travelled from Brussels for the triathlon, which includes a 3.8 kilometre swim, a 180km cycle with 2,600m of elevation, and — to top it off — a marathon.
Local authorities have distributed nearly 250 fans to schools over the past fortnight, while tourists like Jean-Luc Idczak opted to explore Nice’s air-conditioned museums to keep cool.
“With this weather, it’s perfect,” he said as he entered the city’s photography museum.
In Seville, where forecasts suggested temperatures could reach up to 43C, locals and tourists used handheld fans and caps to shield themselves from the heat.
“Lots of cream, sun protection, on the face, everywhere, and very light clothing,” Marta Corona, a 60-year-old tourist, said holding a fan.
“People come asking for water and drinks. That’s what sells because, with this heat, you have to cope somehow,” Fernando Serrano, a 69-year-old kiosk owner, said at his stand.
Wildfires break out in Greece
A firefighting airplane sprays water on a hill in Thymari, south of Athens. (AP: Thanassis Stavrakis)
In Greece, a large wildfire broke out south of Athens on Thursday, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders and shut down parts of the coastal road linking the Greek capital to Sounion, the location of a major tourist attraction, the ancient Temple of Poseidon.
The fire came as temperatures approached 40C.
Earlier in the week, it took hundreds of firefighters four days to gain control of a major wildfire on the eastern Aegean island of Chios. More than a dozen evacuation orders were issued for Chios, where the flames devoured forest and farmland.
The fire department said a woman had been arrested on suspicion of starting the fire — reportedly by discarding a cigarette.
The heatwave comes hot on the heels of a series of tumbling records, including Europe’s hottest March ever, according to the EU’s Copernicus climate monitor.
According to Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Europe has been warming at roughly twice the global average since the 1980s.
As a result of the planet’s warming, extreme weather events, including hurricanes, droughts, floods and heatwaves like this weekend’s, have become more frequent and intense, scientists warn.
By some estimates 2024, the hottest year in recorded history so far, saw worldwide disasters that cost more than $US300 billion ($460 billion).
AFP/AP
