Alerts climatic, forest firesmelted pavement: an intense heat wave has made the temperatures from some parts of central and southern Europe reach 40 °C (104 °F) in several places.
From Italy to Romania, authorities have warned people to be cautious, drive carefully if they go on holiday, drink plenty of water and avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day.
On Thursday, Italian authorities declared a red weather alert in seven cities, mostly in central parts of the country but also in Rome, the capital, and Trieste in the northeast. Municipal authorities in Rome launched a digital app to help people locate public drinking water sources, as temperatures hit 38°C (100°F) on Thursday.
Dennis Mix, an American visitor, said he skipped part of a scheduled tour in Rome and instead stayed in a van.It really affects me,” said.
The heat is aggravated by humidity and could affect both healthy and sick people, Italian authorities have warned.
Similar warnings were issued in neighbouring Croatia and further east and south. Croatia’s top tourist destination, the southern city of Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Sea, recorded 28C (82.4F) at dusk, indicating there would be no relief when the sun goes down.
This week, wildfires were reported in Albania, near the border with Greece, as well as in Bosnia and Italy. Several such fires were burning on Thursday in Corinth, in southern Greece, and on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea.
Alerts were issued Thursday in the region around Athens, the capital, and other parts of central Greece, with a similar warning due Friday in the country’s northeast. Greek authorities said the country faces its highest risk of wildfires in two decades this summer, after a mild, almost rainless winter and a spring that left grass bone-dry.
Meteorologists said temperatures in major cities were even higher than officially reported as hot concrete radiated heat into the ground and asphalt softened underfoot.
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Source: Gestion
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