Scorching heatwave hits Europe as Spain records hottest June day; countries issue alerts

Indian Express

7 hours ago

Countries in the Mediterranean belt of Europe are grappling with scorching temperatures and forest fires in what appears to be one of the hottest Junes recorded in the region. Major cities have witnessed the mercury soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in the past week.
Amid rising concerns of climate change, several countries — particularly France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, along with countries in the Balkans — have reported extreme weather conditions over the weekend, which are likely to continue even today, The Guardian reported.
Heat warnings are in place for parts of France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the UK, and Balkan countries including Croatia, as per the BBC. Many countries have their emergency medical services on standby and have warned people to stay indoors as much as possible.
Major cities have also been affected in the ongoing heatwave, with temperatures in Rome (Italy), Madrid (Spain), and Bologna (Italy) projected to reach 36 degrees Celsius today. Temperatures are expected to hit 35 degrees in Athens (Greece) and Naples (Italy), while Paris and London are forecasting 32 and 31 degrees, respectively.
France has issued orange alerts in approximately 84 of its 96 mainland regions, which marks the country's second-highest alert level. Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher has called the situation unprecedented, and nearly 200 schools across the country have been closed or partially closed owing to the heatwave.
The last major heatwave in France was recorded in June and July 2019, which caused the deaths of 1,435 people, according to a BBC report. The deadliest heatwave to hit the country was in August 2003, which resulted in over 14,800 deaths, according to a study by the National Library of Medicine.
El Granado in southern Spain recorded 46 degrees Celsius on Saturday, its highest temperature ever recorded in the month of June.
Mora in Portugal also recorded 46.6 degrees Celsius on Sunday. The temperature in Santarém is expected to hit 41 degrees in the early afternoon today, and the coastal capital of Lisbon may witness 34 degrees.
With the heatwave in Italy expected to last for at least another 10 days, the country's health ministry on Sunday placed the highest heat alert on 21 out of 27 cities, including Rome, Milan, and Naples.
Several regions, including Lazio, Umbria, Tuscany, Calabria, and Puglia, are reportedly considering a ban on outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day. Temperatures in areas of the country's south and islands are expected to peak at 42 degrees, according to The Guardian.
The temperature in the Croatian capital of Zagreb is projected to reach 33 degrees. The temperature in North Macedonia's capital, Skopje, reached 42 degrees Celsius on Friday and is expected to remain in that range.
On Wednesday, Serbia recorded its hottest day since records began in the 19th century, Reuters reported. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also reported a record 38.8 degrees on Thursday.
Forest fires were witnessed in the southern Corbières mountain range in Aude (France), Turkey, and Croatia. Four hundred hectares of vegetation were burned down in France, but the fires have since been contained, fire authorities told local media on Monday.
Hundreds of forest fires in Turkey, fanned by strong winds, damaged some holiday homes in Turkey's Seferihisar district and forced the temporary closure of the airport in Izmir, AP reported.