‘It's hard to breathe' – Grim ‘postpone your Spain hol' alert to Irish as locals ‘hide out' deadly 42C Europe heatwave
And
Advertisement
9
Temperatures are reaching dangerous highs in parts of Spain
Credit: Meteologix
9
An Irish woman has shown beaches in Barcelona almost deserted as the heat blasts the city
Credit: Journalist Collect
9
Limerick lady Leah is planning to fly home to escape the extreme heat
Credit: Journalist Collect
Aemet has confirmed June temperatures "smashed records" in Spain as averages reached 23.6C, making it the hottest June since 2017.
Leah Daly, from
And the 27-year-old admitted she's planning to jet home to escape
Barcelona is under a Moderate High Temperature Warning, with temperatures soaring to the mid 30s before 11am and remaining in the high 20s overnight.
Advertisement
READ MORE IN NEWS
Wildfires in Lleida in Spain have claimed the lives of two people as blistering
The area is under an orange weather alert, one of 118 heat warnings issued across Spain yesterday.
In the Costa Dorada town of Vallam a toddler
Night-time temperatures recorded overnight into Tuesday hit 28C in Seville and 27C in Barcelona.
Advertisement
Most read in Irish News
Leah told
She said: "I'm waking up and the sun is coming up into my room and even when you've the blinds closed you're waking up in just sweltering heat.
The heatwave staple being sold in Aldi for €4.99 and it's perfect if you don't like the feel of suncream on your skin
"I'm waking up three and four times a night and it's nasty, like it's disgusting."
"Even going out onto the balcony to hang out clothes, your feet are burnt off. It's so, so hot.
Advertisement
"At night time, it's still 27C, 28C, which if you put it into perspective, in Ireland on a nice sunny day that we would enjoy, it could be like 19 degrees.
"You'd be like, 'oh it's lovely, isn't it?' And you think 30 degrees is okay, but it's actually really not.
9
Leah showed us how the streets are empty as local hide inside from the temperatures
Credit: Journalist Collect
9
She also showed the extreme weather alerts people in Spain have been issued
Credit: Journalist Collect
Advertisement
9
Leah warned Irish tourists to seriously consider cancelling their holidays on account of the heat
Credit: Getty Images
"It's miserable. It's gone past the point of actually enjoying the heat and enjoying it safely, because everyone's just inside hiding."
Leah explained how the streets of Barcelona look empty as people stick to shaded areas of the footpath and avoid beaches and the city centre.
'HARD TO BREATHE'
She explained: "It's hard to breathe here. I was walking down the street the other day and everyone was on the second half of the path in the shade.
Advertisement
"When you have to get off the footpath, you have to walk in the sun and it's a nightmare. It's awful."
Describing the city as "empty", Leah said that those who do dare to walk outside stick to the shade - but most of the locals are sticking indoors.
She said: "When you get closer into the city centre, there's no locals. There's no sign of locals.
"Everything is raising the prices because they know people need it, especially tourists. So the price of everything is going up in this heat as well."
Leah Daly
"They're all obviously at home or hiding around the country or away from the city.
Advertisement
"Obviously being in the city with the traffic and the buildings and everything, it's making it hotter."
And as the UV index reaches 11, Leah explained how the
She told us: "People are going and they're sitting there for probably 20 minutes and going, yeah, this actually isn't fun and they're leaving.
"We've gone a couple of times over the last weekends and at the start of the day it's been havoc then after about 20 minutes when you're looking around, everyone's gone.
Advertisement
'IT'S JUST SO HOT'
"I love lying out, absolutely adore it but you just can't, it's just so hot.
"And even when you do, you're up every two seconds to go to the shop to go get water or you need to bring frozen water with you."
But Leah, who's been working remotely for company Fatjoe, warned even the AC in the apartments is simply not strong enough.
The young woman has found herself opting to work from cafes and coffee shops where there is industrial strength air conditioning.
Advertisement
She said: "Anyone coming, I would definitely make sure where you're staying has AC and it's working."
'CHANGE YOUR HOL DATES'
But she added: "I feel like it could be a bit of an issue for some places."
Leah warned
She told us: "If you have the luxury of being able to change your dates, change it.
Advertisement
"It's such a beautiful city. You will enjoy it so much more when you can actually get out and enjoy it.
"Part of the beauty of Barcelona is like the big hustle and bustle of the streets and like the locals and like all the culture.
"But if you come now, you'll probably be spending most of your trip in your
"We have no sign of it cooling down anytime soon. And I do fear August will be worse."
Advertisement
'I'M GOING TO BOOK A TRIP HOME'
Leah added: "If they could, if they're is any leeway and they could postpone their holiday, I do feel like they would enjoy it much more if they could push it to maybe September.
"But I know a lot of Irish and British people aren't going to do that because they're like, 'Oh, we love the sun'. As an Irish person who loves the sun, it's miserable."
She added: "I'm actually going to book a trip home, I think, just to get away from it for a while.
"I'm showering potentially three times a day. Most days twice. But there comes a point like at the start of the summer this year when you just start sweating and I just haven't not sweat since.
Advertisement
"We're trying to make the most of like outdoor pools, like Montjuic pool and stuff like that.
"But everything is
SPAIN HEAT ALERTS
SPAIN has been slapped with 118 heat alerts.
These cover virtually the entire country, with the exception of areas of the south east coast such as Almeria and swathes of the north east such as Oviedo.
In Seville, people have been warned the mercury will rise above 40C for the next three days - and night time temperatures are expected to remain around 25C.
Meanwhile, there are also warnings for storms and heavy rainfall in eastern regions of the country.
Those in Valencia and Catalonia have been warned as much as 20mm of rain could fall.
Leah had some valuable advice for anyone who does decide to push ahead with their holiday, warning they will need to stay safe.
She warned: "As much as you think you want that tan or you want to make the most of the sun, you can enjoy it safely and from indoors.
Advertisement
"The UV goes down from 6pm, even though it's still hot and it's a bit still hard to manage, it's way safer for you."
'BE INSIDE'
Leah continued: "Go and actually see the culture and stuff. Book stuff, be inside for the hottest parts of the day.
"If you're going to see Casa Batllo, maybe book that for around like 12pm. If you're going outside places like Park Guell, like just make sure you have frozen bottles of water.
"The people selling bottles of water on the street, I heard a tourist being charged five euro for a small bottle of water the other day."
Advertisement
She stressed: "I'm not even being dramatic. It is difficult to breathe in that heat. I avoid it most of the day."
IRISH GOVERNMENT ADVICE
The Department of Foreign Affairs has also listed some important advice for Irish citizens living in Spain or Irish tourists visiting.
They warned: "During dry periods or periods of high temperatures, there is a risk of forest fires in many parts of Spain.
These can result in road and railway closures. In addition, air quality in areas near active fires may deteriorate and adversely affect travellers, particularly those with respiratory ailments.
Advertisement
"Irish citizens should monitor the news closely as the situation can change quickly, and take particular care to avoid engaging in any action that may contribute to the risk of forest fires when outdoors.
"We have no sign of it cooling down anytime soon. And I do fear August will be worse."
Leah Daly
"If you see a fire or smoke, you are advised to call the emergency number 112. The operators speak English, and will be able to assist you.
And they added: "Spain can at times experience extreme weather conditions, including flooding, which can adversely affect travel plans.
"You can monitor information and alerts, including severe weather warnings, on the website of the Spanish Meteorological Agency, AEMET.
Advertisement
"Citizens are advised to check the latest weather information before they travel and to follow the advice of the local authorities."
'VERY HIGH RISK OF HEAT STRESS'
A UN climate spokesperson has warned that this will not be the last we see of killer heatwaves across Europe.
Clare Nullis, from the World Meteorological Organisation, issued the warning after temperatures hit 46C in Spain.
She said: "The frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is increasing in Europe.
Advertisement
She continued: "By 2050 about half the European population may be exposed to high or very high risk of heat stress during summer."
9
Leah warned tourists planning to still travel to be well equipped with water
Credit: REUTERS/ Albert Gea
9
Leah also stressed the importance of having air con in you accommodation
Credit: Journalist Collect
9
Most of Spain and surround Islands are under weather alerts
Credit: Aemet
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘It's hard to breathe' – Grim ‘postpone your Spain hol' alert to Irish as locals ‘hide out' deadly 42C Europe heatwave
THE scorching heatwave sweeping across Europe has claimed lives, closed schools, forced people to "hide" out at home, and evacuate as "unbearable" 42C temperatures make it "difficult to breathe". And Advertisement 9 Temperatures are reaching dangerous highs in parts of Spain Credit: Meteologix 9 An Irish woman has shown beaches in Barcelona almost deserted as the heat blasts the city Credit: Journalist Collect 9 Limerick lady Leah is planning to fly home to escape the extreme heat Credit: Journalist Collect Aemet has confirmed June temperatures "smashed records" in Spain as averages reached 23.6C, making it the hottest June since 2017. Leah Daly, from And the 27-year-old admitted she's planning to jet home to escape Barcelona is under a Moderate High Temperature Warning, with temperatures soaring to the mid 30s before 11am and remaining in the high 20s overnight. Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS Wildfires in Lleida in Spain have claimed the lives of two people as blistering The area is under an orange weather alert, one of 118 heat warnings issued across Spain yesterday. In the Costa Dorada town of Vallam a toddler Night-time temperatures recorded overnight into Tuesday hit 28C in Seville and 27C in Barcelona. Advertisement Most read in Irish News Leah told She said: "I'm waking up and the sun is coming up into my room and even when you've the blinds closed you're waking up in just sweltering heat. The heatwave staple being sold in Aldi for €4.99 and it's perfect if you don't like the feel of suncream on your skin "I'm waking up three and four times a night and it's nasty, like it's disgusting." "Even going out onto the balcony to hang out clothes, your feet are burnt off. It's so, so hot. Advertisement "At night time, it's still 27C, 28C, which if you put it into perspective, in Ireland on a nice sunny day that we would enjoy, it could be like 19 degrees. "You'd be like, 'oh it's lovely, isn't it?' And you think 30 degrees is okay, but it's actually really not. 9 Leah showed us how the streets are empty as local hide inside from the temperatures Credit: Journalist Collect 9 She also showed the extreme weather alerts people in Spain have been issued Credit: Journalist Collect Advertisement 9 Leah warned Irish tourists to seriously consider cancelling their holidays on account of the heat Credit: Getty Images "It's miserable. It's gone past the point of actually enjoying the heat and enjoying it safely, because everyone's just inside hiding." Leah explained how the streets of Barcelona look empty as people stick to shaded areas of the footpath and avoid beaches and the city centre. 'HARD TO BREATHE' She explained: "It's hard to breathe here. I was walking down the street the other day and everyone was on the second half of the path in the shade. Advertisement "When you have to get off the footpath, you have to walk in the sun and it's a nightmare. It's awful." Describing the city as "empty", Leah said that those who do dare to walk outside stick to the shade - but most of the locals are sticking indoors. She said: "When you get closer into the city centre, there's no locals. There's no sign of locals. "Everything is raising the prices because they know people need it, especially tourists. So the price of everything is going up in this heat as well." Leah Daly "They're all obviously at home or hiding around the country or away from the city. Advertisement "Obviously being in the city with the traffic and the buildings and everything, it's making it hotter." And as the UV index reaches 11, Leah explained how the She told us: "People are going and they're sitting there for probably 20 minutes and going, yeah, this actually isn't fun and they're leaving. "We've gone a couple of times over the last weekends and at the start of the day it's been havoc then after about 20 minutes when you're looking around, everyone's gone. Advertisement 'IT'S JUST SO HOT' "I love lying out, absolutely adore it but you just can't, it's just so hot. "And even when you do, you're up every two seconds to go to the shop to go get water or you need to bring frozen water with you." But Leah, who's been working remotely for company Fatjoe, warned even the AC in the apartments is simply not strong enough. The young woman has found herself opting to work from cafes and coffee shops where there is industrial strength air conditioning. Advertisement She said: "Anyone coming, I would definitely make sure where you're staying has AC and it's working." 'CHANGE YOUR HOL DATES' But she added: "I feel like it could be a bit of an issue for some places." Leah warned She told us: "If you have the luxury of being able to change your dates, change it. Advertisement "It's such a beautiful city. You will enjoy it so much more when you can actually get out and enjoy it. "Part of the beauty of Barcelona is like the big hustle and bustle of the streets and like the locals and like all the culture. "But if you come now, you'll probably be spending most of your trip in your "We have no sign of it cooling down anytime soon. And I do fear August will be worse." Advertisement 'I'M GOING TO BOOK A TRIP HOME' Leah added: "If they could, if they're is any leeway and they could postpone their holiday, I do feel like they would enjoy it much more if they could push it to maybe September. "But I know a lot of Irish and British people aren't going to do that because they're like, 'Oh, we love the sun'. As an Irish person who loves the sun, it's miserable." She added: "I'm actually going to book a trip home, I think, just to get away from it for a while. "I'm showering potentially three times a day. Most days twice. But there comes a point like at the start of the summer this year when you just start sweating and I just haven't not sweat since. Advertisement "We're trying to make the most of like outdoor pools, like Montjuic pool and stuff like that. "But everything is SPAIN HEAT ALERTS SPAIN has been slapped with 118 heat alerts. These cover virtually the entire country, with the exception of areas of the south east coast such as Almeria and swathes of the north east such as Oviedo. In Seville, people have been warned the mercury will rise above 40C for the next three days - and night time temperatures are expected to remain around 25C. Meanwhile, there are also warnings for storms and heavy rainfall in eastern regions of the country. Those in Valencia and Catalonia have been warned as much as 20mm of rain could fall. Leah had some valuable advice for anyone who does decide to push ahead with their holiday, warning they will need to stay safe. She warned: "As much as you think you want that tan or you want to make the most of the sun, you can enjoy it safely and from indoors. Advertisement "The UV goes down from 6pm, even though it's still hot and it's a bit still hard to manage, it's way safer for you." 'BE INSIDE' Leah continued: "Go and actually see the culture and stuff. Book stuff, be inside for the hottest parts of the day. "If you're going to see Casa Batllo, maybe book that for around like 12pm. If you're going outside places like Park Guell, like just make sure you have frozen bottles of water. "The people selling bottles of water on the street, I heard a tourist being charged five euro for a small bottle of water the other day." Advertisement She stressed: "I'm not even being dramatic. It is difficult to breathe in that heat. I avoid it most of the day." IRISH GOVERNMENT ADVICE The Department of Foreign Affairs has also listed some important advice for Irish citizens living in Spain or Irish tourists visiting. They warned: "During dry periods or periods of high temperatures, there is a risk of forest fires in many parts of Spain. These can result in road and railway closures. In addition, air quality in areas near active fires may deteriorate and adversely affect travellers, particularly those with respiratory ailments. Advertisement "Irish citizens should monitor the news closely as the situation can change quickly, and take particular care to avoid engaging in any action that may contribute to the risk of forest fires when outdoors. "We have no sign of it cooling down anytime soon. And I do fear August will be worse." Leah Daly "If you see a fire or smoke, you are advised to call the emergency number 112. The operators speak English, and will be able to assist you. And they added: "Spain can at times experience extreme weather conditions, including flooding, which can adversely affect travel plans. "You can monitor information and alerts, including severe weather warnings, on the website of the Spanish Meteorological Agency, AEMET. Advertisement "Citizens are advised to check the latest weather information before they travel and to follow the advice of the local authorities." 'VERY HIGH RISK OF HEAT STRESS' A UN climate spokesperson has warned that this will not be the last we see of killer heatwaves across Europe. Clare Nullis, from the World Meteorological Organisation, issued the warning after temperatures hit 46C in Spain. She said: "The frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is increasing in Europe. Advertisement She continued: "By 2050 about half the European population may be exposed to high or very high risk of heat stress during summer." 9 Leah warned tourists planning to still travel to be well equipped with water Credit: REUTERS/ Albert Gea 9 Leah also stressed the importance of having air con in you accommodation Credit: Journalist Collect 9 Most of Spain and surround Islands are under weather alerts Credit: Aemet Advertisement
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Met Eireann three-hour thunderstorm warning for thousands of Irish NOW amid flood fear & ‘steering' jet stream
MET Eireann has slapped two counties with three-hour thunderstorm warnings that are already in effect. Ireland is gearing up to be Advertisement 3 Some areas look set to escape the rain altogether Credit: Meteologix 3 Cavan and Monaghan have been warned to brace for thunderstorms over the next few hours Credit: AFP via Getty Images Temperatures today are maxing out at 14C in the northwest and 20C in the south. Warning of lightning damage and spot flooding as possible effects of the weather, the forecasters said: "Isolated thunderstorms moving eastwards." Advertisement READ MORE IRISH NEWS The Status Yellow warning kicked in at 1:01pm this afternoon and will remain in place until 4pm. Once the warning is no longer in effect, Ireland can expect "mainly dry" weather with clear spells for the majority of the night. However, Met Eireann warned that cloud will move into the west and north later in the night, along with some outbreaks of rain. Temperatures will plunge between 6C and 11C before reaching their highest at 22C on Thursday afternoon. Advertisement MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN And, although temperatures will pass over 20C in some areas tomorrow, Met Eireann warned it will be "rather cloudy" with outbreaks of rain, especially across the northern half of the country. Plane almost tips over as it lands on right-side wheel in rain and heavy wind Those further south are expected to get mainly dry weather with some bright or sunny spells. Met Eireann said: "The rain will clear eastwards through the morning, with a mix of sunshine and scattered showers following, a few heavy further north, with the slight chance of an isolated thunderstorm. "The showers will become isolated later. Highest temperatures of 16C to 22C in mostly moderate west to southwest winds, fresher in the northwest and west." Advertisement Looking further ahead, Met Eireann warned people to brace for an unsettled weekend with windy conditions and heavy rain. The forecaster said: "Our weather will be fairly unsettled to end the week and over the weekend with spells of rain or showers and it'll be rather windy, indeed unseasonably so on Friday. "While it's likely to be drier early next week with lighter winds, but there'll still be some showers around. "Temperatures will generally be around average for the time of year, though a little below in parts of the west and northwest." Advertisement WHY IS SUMMER SO DISAPPOINTING? Ireland's weather is remaining rather mixed and somewhat disappointing this summer, but Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel has explained exactly why we haven't been basking in sunshine. He said: "The weather across the Atlantic is dominated by the NAO phase, which itself is a marker of how two areas of semi permanent pressure centres are behaving (Icelandic Low and Azores High). "When low pressure is prevalent across Iceland with high pressure strong across the Azores, this is known as an NAO+. Which leads to mild wet weather for ourselves. "This is the typical pattern that we experience in winter, with a somewhat greater occurrence of NAO- conditions during summer, but that hasn't been the case over the past two summers." Advertisement JET STREAM 'STEERING' Nolan said this pattern allows jet stream in the mid Atlantic to steer areas of low pressure and cloud our direction, while the rest of the European continent and even the south of England enjoy plenty of sunshine. He continued: "It's been scientifically proven that the AMOC, a key component of the global thermohaline circulation has been weakening and is at its weakest state in over 1,000 years. "This in turn has lead to a cold pool of water south of Greenland and Iceland, which in turn creates a thermal boundary between the cool sea surface temperatures in the subpolar Atlantic while the subtropical Atlantic continues to heat up." Nolan said the thermal boundary becomes for areas of low pressure and acts like a "steering mechanism" for the jet stream. Advertisement This directs areas of cloud and low pressure towards Ireland and northwest Europe while advecting plumes of very hot air northwards across Europe from the African continent. This has lead to the extreme heatwaves we've seen across Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, the Balkans and Greece. Nolan added: "Finally, weakening of the jet stream caused by a reduction in the thermal gradient between the Arctic and subtropical zones in certain other zones across the globe has lead to a weakening of the jet stream, causing it to bend and buckle, meandering more slowest and getting stuck with increasing regularity owing to heat domes and omega blocks in certain locations, while other areas experience cooler, more unsettled conditions." 3 Cavan and Monaghan have been placed under the weather warnings Credit: Met Eireann Advertisement
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Europe heatwave: Two die in wildfire in Spain's Catalonia region
Two people died in a wildfire in Spain's Catalonia region a day ago, which was largely contained though more wind and thunder storms were expected on Wednesday, emergency services and officials said, as Europe grappled with a severe heatwave . The blaze in Torrefeta broke out in a farming area on Tuesday afternoon, destroying several farms, and affecting an area stretching for about 40km, firefighters said, adding there were no other casualties. 'The fire was extremely violent and erratic due to storms and strong winds, generating a convection cloud that complicated extinguishing efforts,' the fire service said in a statement. Authorities warned that more storms were expected on Wednesday afternoon and urged vigilance. READ MORE 'Please exercise caution and follow all instructions and recommendations from the emergency services,' Catalonia's regional leader Salvador Illa said in a post on X. About 14,000 residents were asked to remain indoors for several hours on Tuesday. The wildfire comes as Italy limited work outdoors, France shut schools and Turkey battled wildfires on Tuesday in a European heatwave that meteorologists said was 'exceptional' for striking so early this year. Spain's meteorological agency AEMET, which earlier this week reported its hottest June on record, issued warnings for high temperatures, storms and high winds across much of the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday. 'What is exceptional ... but not unprecedented is the time of year,' said World Meteorological Organisation spokeswoman Clare Nullis. [ 'It feels like swimming in soup': Irish in Europe describe life in heatwave Opens in new window ] Europe was experiencing extreme heat episodes 'which normally we would see later on in the summer', she said. Some countries issued health alerts and trade unions attributed the death of a construction worker near the Italian city of Bologna on Monday to the heat. Power outages, likely caused or aggravated by spiking electricity consumption from air conditioners, were reported in central Florence and in the northern city of Bergamo. In Sicily, a woman with a heart condition died while walking in the city of Bagheria, news agencies reported. In the Spanish city of Barcelona, authorities were looking into whether the death of a street sweeper at the weekend was heat-related. The Red Cross set up an air-conditioned 'climate refuge' for residents in Malaga in southern Spain, said a spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Turkey continued to battle the wildfires that forced the temporary evacuation of about 50,000 people on Monday in areas surrounding the city of Izmir and in the nearby province of Manisa, as well as Hatay in the southeast. In France, nearly 1,900 schools were closed, up from about 200 on Monday. The heat was set to peak in France on Tuesday at 40-41 degrees in some areas, weather forecaster Meteo France said. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are a cause of climate change, with deforestation and industrial practices being other contributing factors. Last year was the planet's hottest on record.- Reuters
