Southern Europe is being scorched by a 'hellish' heat wave

Croatia reported the highest ever temperature in the Adriatic Sea with thermometers reaching nearly 30 degrees Celsius. In Serbia, the state electricity company reported record consumption on July 16 due to air conditioning use.

Authorities in several southern European and Balkan cities have taken special care measures for the elderly as civil rescue teams responded to calls for water-dropping aircraft to tackle wildfires raging in southern Italy and North Macedonia.

A hot and windy day at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, July 16. Photo: AP

“It’s incredibly hot,” said Carmen Díaz, a tourist from Madrid trying to stay cool with a fan during lunchtime in Rome. “The fans help a little, but it’s really hot.”

In Greece, cities have made air-conditioned spaces available to the public. During the hottest part of the day, when temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius, some forms of outdoor work have been banned, such as manual labor, deliveries and construction.

Temperatures are expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country on May 17-18. Spain's national weather agency said thermometers could reach 44 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southern Guadalquivir River basin in the coming days.

To beat the heat, Rome zoo has planned to offer popsicles to animals this weekend as temperatures are expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius.

"It really felt like we were in an oven with a hairdryer pointed at us," said Patrizia Valerio, who had just arrived in Rome from Varese to attend Coldplay's final performance on the evening of July 16.

Mattia Rossi, another concert-goer, said the unusual storms that hit Italy earlier this summer were evidence that climate change is wreaking havoc on weather systems in the southern Mediterranean.

“In my opinion, these are all symptoms that the planet is suffering,” Rossi said.

In Albania, where temperatures are expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius, a 72-year-old man was found dead at his farm in Memaliaj, 200 kilometers south of the capital Tirana. The cause of death is believed to be due to the hot weather.

In Tirana itself, streets and cafes appeared almost deserted, with few people out and about using umbrellas to block the sun. High temperatures and winds have caused wildfires to spread from south to north in recent weeks.

Tourists take shelter from the sun in front of the Sforzesco Castle in Milan, Italy, July 16. Photo: AP

Even as temperatures hit a relatively cool 34 degrees Celsius, Istanbul issued a heat warning on July 16, advising residents, especially the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with health problems, to avoid going outside between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For the second time this month, North Macedonia is facing a heatwave with temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius. Around 200 wildfires have raged in the country since the start of the month, with one firefighter injured so far. The government has declared a month-long state of crisis.

For Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia, this is the second week that temperatures have hovered around 40 degrees Celsius, with the Bosnian town of Mostar recording that high for the sixth consecutive day.

Romania and neighbouring Moldova have also been hit by a severe heatwave over the past week, with temperatures in both capitals Bucharest and Chisinau exceeding 40 degrees Celsius this week.

In Italy, the civil protection agency reported receiving 18 distress calls on July 15 to extinguish wildfires raging in several southern regions.

Italy's health ministry has placed 12 cities, from Trieste in the north to Rome in the centre, on red heat alert, the highest level of heat emergency warning.

Much of Greece is also in the grip of a heatwave that will last until the weekend, with temperatures in some areas expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius. The heatwave is expected to peak on July 17-18, particularly affecting central, western and northern parts of Greece, where temperatures could rise to 43 degrees Celsius.

Ngoc Anh (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nam-au-dang-bi-thieu-dot-duoi-dot-nong-nhu-dia-nguc-post303776.html