This weekend, countries like Italy, Greece, Spain, and Portugal brace for extreme temperatures, prompting health advisories and preparations for severe weather impacts.
**Sweltering Scorch: Southern Europe Faces Early Heatwave Crisis**
**Sweltering Scorch: Southern Europe Faces Early Heatwave Crisis**
As soaring temperatures approach record highs, Southern Europe is on high alert for heat-related emergencies.
In a startling turn of events, Southern Europe is contending with a fierce early heatwave, with health and fire warnings echoing across the region. Forecasts predict that temperatures may soar beyond 40°C over the weekend, and the Spanish city of Seville is expected to reach a blistering 42°C. The scorching air pouring in from North Africa is intensifying the heat across the Balkans, affecting popular holiday spots like Croatia.
BBC Weather has labeled this heatwave as “very intense” for this time of year, as traditionally such high temperatures are more common in July and early August. Emergency services in Spain are gearing up for an influx of heatstroke cases, prioritizing vulnerable populations including children and the elderly.
Italian cities, particularly Rome, Milan, and Venice—where numerous A-list celebrities have gathered for the highly publicized wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos—are urging residents to stay indoors during peak heat hours of 11:00 and 18:00. Meanwhile, southern France has been enduring its own heatwave for over a week, and orange heat alerts (the second highest warning level) were issued, with municipal swimming pools in Marseille being opened to the public at no charge to help residents cope.
Compounding the crisis, yellow and amber warnings are also in place for parts of England, forecasting temperatures as high as 32°C this weekend. The scorching weather is anticipated to persist until Tuesday evening, as wildfires already ravage parts of Greece—with coastal regions near Athens seeing destructive flames that have led to evacuations.
While pinpointing individual extreme weather phenomena to climate change is challenging, experts increasingly indicate that these heatwaves are not only becoming more frequent, but also more severe, as evidenced by research from World Weather Attribution. They note that heatwaves in June featuring three consecutive days above 28°C are now approximately ten times more likely than they were in pre-industrial times.
BBC Weather has labeled this heatwave as “very intense” for this time of year, as traditionally such high temperatures are more common in July and early August. Emergency services in Spain are gearing up for an influx of heatstroke cases, prioritizing vulnerable populations including children and the elderly.
Italian cities, particularly Rome, Milan, and Venice—where numerous A-list celebrities have gathered for the highly publicized wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos—are urging residents to stay indoors during peak heat hours of 11:00 and 18:00. Meanwhile, southern France has been enduring its own heatwave for over a week, and orange heat alerts (the second highest warning level) were issued, with municipal swimming pools in Marseille being opened to the public at no charge to help residents cope.
Compounding the crisis, yellow and amber warnings are also in place for parts of England, forecasting temperatures as high as 32°C this weekend. The scorching weather is anticipated to persist until Tuesday evening, as wildfires already ravage parts of Greece—with coastal regions near Athens seeing destructive flames that have led to evacuations.
While pinpointing individual extreme weather phenomena to climate change is challenging, experts increasingly indicate that these heatwaves are not only becoming more frequent, but also more severe, as evidenced by research from World Weather Attribution. They note that heatwaves in June featuring three consecutive days above 28°C are now approximately ten times more likely than they were in pre-industrial times.
