Cold baths, climate shelters as Southern Europe heatwave intensifies
Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots and regions issued fire warnings as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent.
Peaks of 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) were expected in areas of southern Spain and Portugal, while nearly all of France is sweltering in heat expected to last for several days.
In Italy, 21 cities were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence and Rome.
"We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted," said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a "muggy, miserable" Verona.
Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported an uptick in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine.
"We've seen around a 10 percent increase, mainly in cities that not only have very high temperatures but also a higher humidity rate. It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue," he told AFP.
'Climate shelters'
Hospitals like the Ospedale dei Colli in Naples have set up dedicated heatstroke pathways to speed access to vital treatments like cold water immersion, Guarino said.
In Venice, authorities offered free guided tours for people over 75s in air-conditioned museums and public buildings.
Bologna has set up seven "climate shelters" with air conditioning and drinking water, Florence has called on doctors to flag up the lonely and vulnerable, Ancona is delivering dehumidifiers to the needy, and Rome has offered free access to city swimming pools for those over 70.
Scientists say climate change is stoking hotter and more intense heatwaves, particularly in cities where the so-called "urban heat island" effect amplifies temperatures among tightly packed buildings.
"The heat waves in the Mediterranean region have become more frequent and more intense in recent years, with peaks of 37 degrees or even more in cities, where the urban heat island effect raises the temperatures even further," said Emanuela Piervitali, a researcher at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA).
"A further increase in temperature and heat extremes is expected in the future, so we will have to get used to temperatures with peaks even higher than those we are experiencing now," she told AFP.
Invasive species
In Portugal, several areas in the southern half of the country, including the capital Lisbon, are under a red warning for heat until Monday night due to "persistently extremely high maximum temperature values", according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
Two-thirds of Portugal was on high alert Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires, as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday.
In France, experts warned that the heat was also severely impacting biodiversity.
"With this stifling heat, the temperature can exceed 40 degrees in some nests," said Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO).
"We are taking in birds in difficulty everywhere; our seven care centres are saturated," he said.
It is also attracting invasive species, which are thriving in the more tropical climes.
Italy's ISPRA launched a campaign this week urging fishermen and tourists alike to report sightings of four "potentially dangerous" venomous species.
The lionfish, silver-cheeked toadfish, dusky spinefoot and marbled spinefoot are beginning to appear in waters off southern Italy as the Mediterranean warms, it said.
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
21 minutes ago
- LeMonde
Fires break out in France as southern Europe heatwave intensifies
Firefighters mobilized in several countries to tackle blazes as southern Europeans sought shelter from the punishing temperatures of a heatwave that is set to intensify in the coming days. Fires broke out in France and Turkey on Sunday, June 29, with other countries already on alert. Authorities from Spain to Portugal, Italy and France urged people to seek shelter and protect the most vulnerable from the summer's first major heatwave. Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent. In Turkey, forest fires broke out Sunday afternoon in the western Izmir province, fed by strong winds, local media reported. Firefighters backed by specially adapted planes were battling the blaze, but five neighbourhoods in the Seferihisar district had to be evacuated, said the local governor. In France, wildfires broke out in the Corbières area of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40 degrees (104 ° F), forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution. Already last week, Greek firefighters had to battle a forest blaze on the coast south of Athens that forced some evacuations. 'Not normal' French weather service Météo France put a record 84 out of the country's 101 regional departments on an orange heatwave alert – the second-highest – for Monday. Spain's weather service AEMET said temperatures in Extremadura and Andalusia, in the south and southwest, had reached up to 44 ° C on Sunday. In Madrid, where temperatures approached 40 ° C, 32-year-old photographer Diego Radames told AFPTV: "I feel that the heat we're experiencing is not normal for this time of year. "As the years go by, I have the feeling that Madrid is getting hotter and hotter, especially in the city centre," he added. In Italy, 21 cities across the length of the country were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence, Rome and Catania. "We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted," said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a "muggy, miserable" Verona. Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported a 10% increase in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine. "It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue," he told AFP. 'More frequent, more intense' Several areas in the southern half of Portugal, including Lisbon, are under a red warning until Monday night, said the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Two-thirds of Portugal was also on high alert Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires – as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday. Scientists say climate change is stoking hotter and more intense heatwaves, particularly in cities where the so-called "urban heat island" effect amplifies temperatures among tightly packed buildings. The heat is also attracting invasive species, which are thriving in the more tropical climes. ISPRA launched a campaign this week urging fishermen and tourists alike to report sightings of four "potentially dangerous" venomous species. The lionfish, silver-cheeked toadfish, dusky spinefoot and marbled spinefoot are beginning to appear in waters off southern Italy as the Mediterranean warms, it said. In France, experts warned that the heat was also severely hitting biodiversity. "We are taking in birds in difficulty everywhere; our seven care centres are saturated," said Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO).
Local France
4 hours ago
- Local France
Wildfires break out in France with most of country on extreme heat alert
Wildfires broke out in the Corbieres area of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40 degrees, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution. The south of the country saw highs of more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) Sunday, with temperatures between 35 and 38C (95-100F) across the region, national weather service Meteo-France said. Most of France is on heatwave alert for Monday June 30th. Image Météo France. It reported 40.9C (105 F) in the small town of Grospierres in southeastern France, 40.1C in the village of Vinsobres in the southeast, and 39.9C in the town of Cadenet, also in the southeast. The crushing temperatures which began in the south of the country on Friday will have spread to nearly all of France by Monday, with highs of 37 to 40 degrees Celsius forecast along the Mediterranean. The number of departments under orange alert -- the second-highest level -- will rise to 84 on Monday, with temperatures expected to peak Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing highs of up to 41C (105.8F). An interministerial crisis meeting on the heatwave was convened Sunday evening to review all the guidelines, particularly concerning health, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told BFMTV. Some cities have already closed schools for the beginning of the week, as a protective measure. Advertisement Under an orange heatwave alert members of the public are advised to drink water regularly, eat normally and avoid going outside during the hottest time of day. People are also advised to avoid exercise and keep in touch with anyone in their family who is elderly or vulnerable. In the southwestern city of Bordeaux, where temperatures reached 36 degrees, families packed a lakeside beach to seek shade beneath pine trees. "At home, in the flat, it's just hell. We live in the dark, it's an oven," said Evan Bernard, who was with his 18-month-old son. The heatwave spans southern Europe, from Italy to Portugal, where Lisbon and several regions are on red alert. In Spain, temperatures reached 46C (114.8F) Saturday in El Granado. The heatwave is driven by a heat dome -- a strong anticyclone that traps warm air and prevents cooler systems from entering.
France 24
13 hours ago
- France 24
Cold baths, climate shelters as Southern Europe heatwave intensifies
Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots and regions issued fire warnings as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent. Peaks of 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) were expected in areas of southern Spain and Portugal, while nearly all of France is sweltering in heat expected to last for several days. In Italy, 21 cities were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence and Rome. "We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted," said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a "muggy, miserable" Verona. Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported an uptick in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine. "We've seen around a 10 percent increase, mainly in cities that not only have very high temperatures but also a higher humidity rate. It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue," he told AFP. 'Climate shelters' Hospitals like the Ospedale dei Colli in Naples have set up dedicated heatstroke pathways to speed access to vital treatments like cold water immersion, Guarino said. In Venice, authorities offered free guided tours for people over 75s in air-conditioned museums and public buildings. Bologna has set up seven "climate shelters" with air conditioning and drinking water, Florence has called on doctors to flag up the lonely and vulnerable, Ancona is delivering dehumidifiers to the needy, and Rome has offered free access to city swimming pools for those over 70. Scientists say climate change is stoking hotter and more intense heatwaves, particularly in cities where the so-called "urban heat island" effect amplifies temperatures among tightly packed buildings. "The heat waves in the Mediterranean region have become more frequent and more intense in recent years, with peaks of 37 degrees or even more in cities, where the urban heat island effect raises the temperatures even further," said Emanuela Piervitali, a researcher at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA). "A further increase in temperature and heat extremes is expected in the future, so we will have to get used to temperatures with peaks even higher than those we are experiencing now," she told AFP. Invasive species In Portugal, several areas in the southern half of the country, including the capital Lisbon, are under a red warning for heat until Monday night due to "persistently extremely high maximum temperature values", according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Two-thirds of Portugal was on high alert Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires, as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday. In France, experts warned that the heat was also severely impacting biodiversity. "With this stifling heat, the temperature can exceed 40 degrees in some nests," said Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO). "We are taking in birds in difficulty everywhere; our seven care centres are saturated," he said. It is also attracting invasive species, which are thriving in the more tropical climes. Italy's ISPRA launched a campaign this week urging fishermen and tourists alike to report sightings of four "potentially dangerous" venomous species. The lionfish, silver-cheeked toadfish, dusky spinefoot and marbled spinefoot are beginning to appear in waters off southern Italy as the Mediterranean warms, it said. © 2025 AFP
