Europe hit by deadly heatwave with temperatures over 40C in holiday hotspots
A man tries to cool a girl with water during their visit to the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill in Greece (Picture: Reuters)
Temperatures have soared across several parts of Europe with several major holiday hotspots hit by sweltering heatwaves.
Spain and Greece have both seen temperatures reach 40C today, with some areas expecting further rises in the coming days.
On the Spanish island of Majorca a 34-year-old Dutch man hiking with friends collapsed and died of heatstroke near Soller, reports local news site Ultima Hora.
Authorities have asked people to stay inside to prevent further cases.
Meanwhile a massive wildfire broke out south of Athens, with four villages evacuated as a result.
Some 130 firefighters and about two dozen water-dropping planes and helicopters battled the blaze in the Palaia Fokaia seaside area, the local fire department said.
The fire, which broke out within a populated area, was fanned by strong winds and TV footage showed at least one home burning.
Authorities in Athens banned outdoor activities for builders and delivery staff from 9am to 2pm today and advised against unnecessary travel.
People watch as a wildfire burns forest land on Chios Island, Greece (People: EPA)
Workers had the option of switching to remote working to avoid possible heat exhaustion, while air-conditioned facilities were provided for the elderly.
Tourists were less comfortable, however.
'We are all from Pennsylvania and we have never really experienced a heatwave like this before,' Antonia Lasen told Reuters.
'At the Acropolis, we were all very hot and it was a little bit slippery to walk up, and the combination of the heat and the marble, I think it was hotter because of the cement, it was like a cement jungle almost, which is very hot.'
France has been dealing with a heatwave for more than a week already, with four regions in southern France placed under an orange alert on today – the second-highest warning.
Much of Europe is experiencing scorching temperatures
Temperatures reached up to 39C inland.
In Italy, the health ministry issued its top red alert for 21 cities this weekend including the capital Rome, Milan and Venice, where Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos is getting married today.
People were advised not to go outdoors between 11am and 6pm, and to seek shelter in air-conditioned public places.
In Portugal, the national meteorological agency IPMA said the heatwave would hit from Saturday, with temperatures passing 40C in the south of the country as well as in the central Tagus and the Douro valleys in the north.
Meanwhile in the UK, temperatures are expected to rise to over the next day, potentially peaking at 35C on Monday.
An amber health alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency which covers London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England.
The warning, which is the second most serious after a red alert, started at midday today and runs until 6pm on Tuesday.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Arrow MORE: Migrants could soon be deported to France from the UK in a 'one in one out' deal
Arrow MORE: What £40,000,000 could pay for instead of fund Jeff Bezos' wedding in Venice
Arrow MORE: This country will be underwater by 2050 — and citizens are entering a bleak competition to escape
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Tourists warned they face chaos on Spain's island holiday hotspots
Tourists warned they face chaos on Spain's island holiday hotspots The disruptioncould last through the peak holiday season Holidaymakers on a beach in Ibiza (Image: Getty Images ) Tourists face potential disruption with a threatened mass walk out by 180,000 hospitality workers. Popular holiday islands. Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca will be affected by the strikes, which could go on for weeks. Union bosses left a meeting about pay and working conditions, calling hospitality bosses' offer of an 11 per cent pay increase not sufficient. Discussions about cutting the working week to 35 hours also stalled after employers "categorically" turned down that suggestion, reports The Sun. UGT union spokesman Jose Garcia Relucio was reported as describing the offer as 'more crumbs'. He accused hotel bosses of expecting workers to survive on tips. He said after walking out of today's meeting: 'We'd come here to negotiate to improve the conditions of service industry workers, not to worsen them.' Many hospitality staff will walk out on July 10 unless a last-minute agreement is reached between employers and unions. The strikes could go on through the month with July 18, 19, 25, 31 confirmed protest days. José García Relucio, General Secretary of the Federation of Services, Mobility and Consumption of UGT, said the talks "could not have gone worse". He said employers were being inflexible on pay. Article continues below Javier Vich, President of the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca, said it was the fault of unions for not making a compromise. He said employers were making all the "necessary efforts" to "reach a fair" agreement with hospitality workers. Unions want a 16 per cent rise in pay for workers over three years. The strike comes during peak tourist season in the Spanish holiday islands. There have already been protests across Spain with hundreds of locals taking to the streets demanding an end to mass tourism. Thousands of people came out on the streets in the Canary Islands in May. There were protests on islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Protesters used the slogan: "The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are loved and defended". Some banners read: "The Canary Islands have a limit and so does our patience" and "Enough is enough!" Article continues below
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
British holidaymakers in Spain face summer of strikes by hospitality staff
British holidaymakers may find their getaways thrown into chaos amid a summer of planned strike action at popular Spanish destinations. Hospitality sector workers in the Balearic Islands have threatened to walk out from July 10 after talks broke down over pay increases. A total of 180,000 workers in hotels, restaurants and other tourist spots – a majority of those employed in the sector on the islands – are set to strike. It comes amid a wave of other industrial action as well as protests against over-tourism across Spain. The main flash point in negotiations with unions is a 17 per cent pay rise demanded by unions. So far workers have been offered a salary bump of 8.5 per cent. The latest announcement of strike action comes despite an eleventh-hour deal reached with hotel workers to avoid a walkout in four of the Canary Islands including Tenerife. Further strikes in Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera will affect all bars, restaurants, cafes and night spots may go ahead on July 18, 19, 25 and 31. The UGT union is also demanding several other reforms to working practices, including a 35-hour working week and to increase the duration of seasonal fixed-term contracts from six to nine months a year. UGT spokesperson Jose Garcia Relucio branded concessions made at Thursday's talks as 'more crumbs', MailOnline reported. The union said that despite entering the negotiations to improve conditions for workers, the meeting had ended with several agreed reforms rolled back. However the Majorca Hotel Business Federation blamed UGT for a creating a poor negotiating environment and failing to listen to its reasons for not meeting its demands. Its vice-president, María José Aguiló, said: 'We have reached a point where, despite the fact we have been willing to address the issue of guaranteed employment for fixed-term contracts, they have not listened to our reasons for not raising the proposed [salary] increase.' Holidaymakers have already been disrupted this week after EasyJet cabin crew in Spain went on strike from Wednesday, impacting dozens of flights to popular destinations including Malaga, Barcelona and Alicante. A total of 62 flights were cancelled with the airline to and from Spain on Thursday, the second day of action. More Trending The USO union has not ruled out a further indefinite strike if its demands its members to be paid equal to EasyJet employees in other countries are not met. Earlier this month, thousands marched across Spain to tell Brits to 'go home' amid concerns over unsustainable tourism at favourite holiday spots. A demonstration in Palma de Majorca saw protesters carry placards in front of beleaguered tourists reading: 'Mallorca is not your cash cow… go home' and 'your holidays, our anxiety'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Europe hit by deadly heatwave with temperatures over 40C in holiday hotspots MORE: Brit at centre of Oldham striker fight in Ibiza pool speaks out MORE: British woman killed walking past Spanish bar when it exploded
Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
Europe hit by deadly heatwave with temperatures over 40C in holiday hotspots
A man tries to cool a girl with water during their visit to the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill in Greece (Picture: Reuters) Temperatures have soared across several parts of Europe with several major holiday hotspots hit by sweltering heatwaves. Spain and Greece have both seen temperatures reach 40C today, with some areas expecting further rises in the coming days. On the Spanish island of Majorca a 34-year-old Dutch man hiking with friends collapsed and died of heatstroke near Soller, reports local news site Ultima Hora. Authorities have asked people to stay inside to prevent further cases. Meanwhile a massive wildfire broke out south of Athens, with four villages evacuated as a result. Some 130 firefighters and about two dozen water-dropping planes and helicopters battled the blaze in the Palaia Fokaia seaside area, the local fire department said. The fire, which broke out within a populated area, was fanned by strong winds and TV footage showed at least one home burning. Authorities in Athens banned outdoor activities for builders and delivery staff from 9am to 2pm today and advised against unnecessary travel. People watch as a wildfire burns forest land on Chios Island, Greece (People: EPA) Workers had the option of switching to remote working to avoid possible heat exhaustion, while air-conditioned facilities were provided for the elderly. Tourists were less comfortable, however. 'We are all from Pennsylvania and we have never really experienced a heatwave like this before,' Antonia Lasen told Reuters. 'At the Acropolis, we were all very hot and it was a little bit slippery to walk up, and the combination of the heat and the marble, I think it was hotter because of the cement, it was like a cement jungle almost, which is very hot.' France has been dealing with a heatwave for more than a week already, with four regions in southern France placed under an orange alert on today – the second-highest warning. Much of Europe is experiencing scorching temperatures Temperatures reached up to 39C inland. In Italy, the health ministry issued its top red alert for 21 cities this weekend including the capital Rome, Milan and Venice, where Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos is getting married today. People were advised not to go outdoors between 11am and 6pm, and to seek shelter in air-conditioned public places. In Portugal, the national meteorological agency IPMA said the heatwave would hit from Saturday, with temperatures passing 40C in the south of the country as well as in the central Tagus and the Douro valleys in the north. Meanwhile in the UK, temperatures are expected to rise to over the next day, potentially peaking at 35C on Monday. An amber health alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency which covers London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England. The warning, which is the second most serious after a red alert, started at midday today and runs until 6pm on Tuesday. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Migrants could soon be deported to France from the UK in a 'one in one out' deal Arrow MORE: What £40,000,000 could pay for instead of fund Jeff Bezos' wedding in Venice Arrow MORE: This country will be underwater by 2050 — and citizens are entering a bleak competition to escape
