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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Street sweeper dies and pensioners told to shelter in swimming pools over deadly heatwave
A street sweeper has died in Spain and pensioners in Italy have been told to find shelter in museums and pools as the deadly heatwave continues in Europe. Temperatures in the UK have not reached the highs seen in Europe but an amber alert for extreme heat, in place since Friday, remains in five regions. In Rome, over 70s will be given free access to swimming pools and over 75s will be offered guided tours of museums and public buildings free of charge in Venice as authorities seek to keep pensioners out of the sweltering heat. Seven 'climate shelters' with air conditioning have also been established in Bologna, while ambulances have been placed on standby at tourist hotspots across southern Europe. The initiatives were rolled out as extreme heat alerts were put in place across 21 Italian cities, including Naples, Venice, Rome, Florence and Milan. In the regions of Sicily and Liguria, outdoor working has also been banned during the hottest parts of the day. The extreme heat is expected to last until the middle of week, with temperatures set to rise further in France, Germany, Italy and the UK in the coming days. The heat has been building under an area of high pressure, with dry air descending and causing temperatures to increase. With the UK amber alert comes warnings of travel disruption across the East Midlands, South East, South West, London and the East of England. Parts of the UK could see one of the hottest days in June ever on Monday, with temperatures of up to 34C forecast in central and eastern parts of England. Glastonbury Festival urged attendees to leave early on Monday morning to avoid the hottest temperatures, while Wimbledon could experience its hottest ever opening day. Since 1960, UK temperatures in June have only surpassed 34C in three years, the hottest being the 35.6C that was recorded on June 28 in 1976. Thomas Goodall, the London Fire Brigade's assistant commissioner, warned that the capital was 'already facing its second heatwave of the year' and that the city was at 'severe' risk of wildfires because of a lack of rain. He said: 'As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly. In London, this can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties.' On Sunday, El Granado in Huelva, southern Spain, hit 46C, according to the country's national weather service, which also forecast the hottest June on record. In Barcelona, a female street sweeper in her 50s died after completing her shift over the weekend and a 34-year-old Dutch tourist died from heatstroke while hiking with friends last week in Majorca. Meanwhile, emergency departments across Italy reported around a 10 per cent increase in heatstroke cases, Mario Guarino, the vice-president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, said. He added: 'It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue.' Hospitals, including the Ospedale dei Colli in Naples, have set up dedicated heatstroke pathways to fast track patients' access to treatments such as cold-water immersion, Mr Guarino added. The extreme temperatures have also been felt elsewhere in Europe, with wildfires sweeping through the Greek coastal towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari on Thursday, destroying homes and forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate. Strong winds and sky-high temperatures made the fire extremely difficult to contain, with 11 tourists needing to be rescued from a beach, authorities said. The extreme heat has also spread across the western Balkans, where temperatures have peaked above 40C. Serbia recorded its highest-ever temperatures since it began recording in the 19th century, while the hottest-ever June temperature was recorded in Slovenia on Saturday. Firefighters mobilised in France and Turkey on Sunday as wildfires started spreading. In Turkey, forest fires broke out in the western Izmir province, fed by strong winds. Five neighbourhoods in the Seferihisar district had to be evacuated. Helicopters, fire extinguishing aircraft and other vehicles, and more than a thousand people, were trying to extinguish the fires, Ibrahim Yumakli, the forestry minister, told reporters in Izmir. In France, wildfires broke out in the Corbieres area of Aude in the south-west, where temperatures topped 40 degrees, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution. Last week, Greek firefighters had to battle a forest blaze on the coast south of Athens that forced some evacuations. Scientists have warned that climate change is playing a critical role in the heatwaves sweeping across Europe, especially in cities where the 'urban heat island' effect means temperatures are amplified among tightly packed buildings. Emanuela Piervitali, a researcher at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, said: 'The heatwaves 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. '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 added. In 2003, more than 70,000 people died during an extreme heatwave in Europe, a disproportionate number of whom were over 75. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Saudi Gazette
14 hours ago
- Climate
- Saudi Gazette
'Unprecedented' alerts in France as blistering heat grips Europe
PARIS — A record number of heat alerts are in place across France as the country, and other parts of southern and eastern Europe, remain in the grip of soaring temperatures. Sixteen French regions, including Paris, have been placed on red alert for Tuesday, the country's highest, while 68 others are on orange alert. On Monday, 84 of 96 mainland regions were under an orange alert, which France's Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher called an "unprecedented" situation. Heat warnings are also in place for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the UK and Balkan countries including Croatia. Both Spain and Portugal had their hottest June days on record at the weekend. El Granado in Andalucía saw a temperature of 46C on Saturday, while 46.6C was recorded in the town of Mora in central Portugal on Sunday. Many countries have emergency medical services on standby and have warned people to stay inside as much as possible. Nearly 200 schools across France have been closed or partially closed as a result of the heatwave, which has gripped parts of Europe for more than a week now but is expected to peak mid-week. France's red alert will come into effect at 12:00 local time on Tuesday. Several forest fires broke out in the southern Corbières mountain range on Sunday, leading to evacuations and the closure of a motorway. The fires have since been contained, officials told French media. Meanwhile, 21 Italian cities are also on the highest alert, including Rome, Milan and Venice, as is Sardinia. Mario Guarino, vice-president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, told AFP news agency that hospital emergency departments across the country had reported a 10% increase in heatstroke cases. Parts of the UK were just shy of being one of the hottest June days ever on Monday. The highest UK temperature of the day was recorded at Heathrow Airport in London at 33.1C. Meanwhile, Wimbledon recorded a temperature of 32.9C, the tennis tournament's hottest opening day on record. Meanwhile, heat alerts across Spain, which is on course to record its hottest June on record, remained in place. "I can't sleep well and have insomnia. I also get heat strokes, I stop eating and I just can't focus," Anabel Sanchez, 21, told Reuters news agency in Seville. It is a similar situation in Portugal, where seven districts, including the capital, Lisbon, are on the highest alert level. In Germany, the country's meteorological service warned that temperatures could reach almost 38C on Tuesday and Wednesday - further potentially record-breaking temperatures. The heatwave lowered levels in the Rhine River - a major shipping route - limiting the amount cargo ships can transport and raising freighting costs. — BBC
Local Italy
a day ago
- Climate
- Local Italy
Cold baths and 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 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 up 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 people aged 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 heatwaves 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 "extremely high maximum temperature values", according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Two-thirds of Portugal was on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires, as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes on 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. Extreme heat is also attracting invasive species which thrive in more tropical climates. 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.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Unprecedented' alerts in France as blistering heat grips Europe
A record number of heat alerts are in place across France as the country, and other parts of southern and eastern Europe, remain in the grip of soaring temperatures. Some 84 of 96 of France's mainland regions - known as departments - are currently under an orange alert - the country's second highest. France's Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher has called it an "unprecedented" situation. Heat warnings are also in place for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the UK and Balkan countries including Croatia. Both Spain and Portugal had their hottest June days on record at the weekend. El Granado in Andalucía saw a temperature of 46C on Saturday, while 46.6C was recorded in the town of Mora in central Portugal on Sunday. Many countries have emergency medical services on standby and are warning people to stay inside as much as possible. Nearly 200 schools across France have been closed or partially closed as a result of the heatwave, which has gripped parts of Europe for more than a week now but is expected to peak mid-week. Education Minister Elisabeth Borne said she was working with regional authorities over the best ways to look after schoolchildren or to allow parents who can to keep their children at home. Several forest fires broke out in the southern Corbières mountain range on Sunday, leading to evacuations and the closure of a motorway. They have since been contained, fire authorities told French media on Monday. Follow our live updates Top tips on how to sleep in the heat Meanwhile, 21 Italian cities are also on the highest alert - including Rome, Milan and Venice, as is Sardinia. Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, told AFP news agency that hospital emergency departments across the country had reported a 10% increase in heatstroke cases. Parts of the UK could see one of the hottest June days ever on Monday, with temperatures of 34C or higher possible in some parts of England. Much of Spain, which is on course to record its hottest June on record, also continues to be under heat alerts. "I can't sleep well and have insomnia. I also get heat strokes, I stop eating and I just can't focus," Anabel Sanchez, 21, told Reuters news agency in Seville. It is a similar situation in Portugal, where seven districts, including the capital, Lisbon, are on t he highest alert level. Meanwhile, the German Meteorological Service has warned that temperatures could reach almost 38C on Tuesday and Wednesday - further potentially record-breaking temperatures. Countries in and around the Balkans have also been struggling with the intense heat, although temperatures have begun to cool slightly. In Turkey, firefighters continue their efforts to put out hundreds of wildfires that have broken out in recent days. A fire in the Seferihisar district, 50km (30 miles) south-west of the resort city of Izmir, is being fuelled by winds and has already destroyed around 20 homes and some residential areas have had to be evacuated. Wildfires have also broken out in Croatia, where severe heat warnings are in place for coastal areas. Temperatures in Greece have been approaching 40C for several days and coastal towns near the capital Athens last week erupted in flames that destroyed homes - forcing people to evacuate. On Wednesday, Serbia reported its hottest day since records began, while a record 38.8C was recorded in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday. In Slovenia, the hottest-ever June temperature was recorded on Saturday. The temperature in North Macedonia's capital, Skopje, reached 42C on Friday - and are expected to continue in that range. While the heatwave is a potential health issue, it is also impacting the climate. Higher temperatures in the Adriatic Sea are encouraging invasive species such as the poisonous lionfish, while also causing further stress on alpine glaciers that are already shrinking at record rates. While it is hard to link individual extreme weather events to climate change, heatwaves are becoming more common and more intense due to climate change. Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here. Spain records temperature of 46C as Europe heatwave continues Southern Europe swelters as heatwave spreads
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First Post
a day ago
- Climate
- First Post
Cruel summer: Why temperatures in Europe are soaring past 40°C
Europe is sweltering under a record-breaking heatwave with temperatures in Spain touching 46 degrees Celsius. Other countries like Italy, Greece and France are also batttling with a severe summer. The mercury is only expected to surge in coming days. Is it the heat dome or climate change? read more Countries like Italy, Greece, Spain, and Portugal have already recorded severe heat conditions and persistent heatwaves, pushing both residents and tourists to take shelter. File image/Reuters Europe is currently in the grip of a fierce and early summer heatwave, with temperatures shooting up to a scorching 46 degrees Celsius in parts of the south. Countries like Italy, Greece, Spain, and Portugal have already recorded severe heat conditions, pushing both residents and tourists to take shelter. The intense heat has already triggered health warnings and fire alerts, with authorities across the region urging people to stay cautious. What's more concerning is that the extreme temperatures are expected to continue into the next week, offering little to no relief. So, what's happening on the ground, and what's fuelling Europe's record-breaking temperatures? Ban on outdoor activities, free access to pools France is experiencing the brunt of the heat. In Marseille—France's second-largest city—temperatures hit a blistering 41.3 degrees Celsius, the highest recorded in the country during this extreme weather event. To help people cope, local authorities have made public swimming pools free to access, offering some much-needed relief from the Mediterranean heat. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Italy's summer, once celebrated for its charm, is now defined by stifling heat and unusual restrictions. Several regions, including Lazio, Tuscany, Calabria, Sicily, Puglia, and Umbria, are planning to restrict outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day. The soaring temperatures have prompted Italian trade unions to urge the government to extend these protections nationwide. A woman protects herself from the sun with a fan during a heat wave in Seville, Spain, on Saturday. AFP Emergency rooms across the country are already feeling the impact. According to Mario Guarino, vice-president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, there's been around a 10 per cent rise in cases of heatstroke. 'It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue,' Guarino told The Telegraph. Hospitals in Naples have also started creating dedicated pathways for heatstroke patients, allowing quicker access to treatments like cold-water immersion, he added. Wimbledon in the London also witnessed its hottest opening day on record on Monday, possibly breaking the tournament's all-time heat record. Tennis fans protect themselves from the sun as they queue for tickets on the first day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon. AFP The current opening day high is 29.3 degrees Celsius, set in 2001. The hottest day ever at Wimbledon was 35.7 degrees Celsius on July 1, 2015. Tourists reel under the heat On Sunday, Italy's Health Ministry placed 21 out of the 27 monitored cities under its highest-level heat alert, including major tourist destinations like Rome, Milan, and Naples. In Rome, visitors were spotted gathering near shaded areas around the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, using umbrellas and public fountains to cool off in the intense sun. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I try not to think about it, but I drink a lot of water and never stay still, because that's when you get sunstroke,' Sriane Mina, an Italian student in Venice, told AFP. People fill their bottle at a fountain on a hot summer day in Rome, near the Vatican, on Saturday. AFP Similar scenes unfolded in Milan and Naples, where street vendors offered lemonade to tourists and locals alike, trying to bring some relief from the stifling heat. 'There is no wind, a lot of humidity, we are sweating, and I'm suffocating at night,' said Alejandra Echeverria, a 40-year-old tourist from Mexico visiting Rome, speaking to AFP on Saturday. In Spain, locals and tourists struggled under soaring temperatures, with the southern city of Seville hitting 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Other areas across southern and central Spain also experienced extreme heat. Southern parts of the country reported temperatures well above the seasonal average, prompting officials to issue public health alerts and safety advice. Spain's national meteorological service, Aemet, has said that June is on track to become the hottest on record since official data collection began. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Wildfire breaks out in Greece as heat rises As temperatures in Greece climbed close to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), a major wildfire broke out south of Athens last week. The blaze forced authorities to close parts of the coastal road that connects the city to Sounion, the site of the ancient Temple of Poseidon—a major tourist attraction. To battle the flames, Greek officials deployed 130 firefighters, along with 12 planes and 12 helicopters. Police evacuated 40 people, and evacuation orders were issued in five areas. Flames rise above Thymari, near Athens, after wildfires broke out on Friday. Reuters Portugal is also under extreme heat pressure. Nearly two-thirds of the country was placed on high alert on Sunday, with temperatures in the capital, Lisbon, expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Officials also warned of a heightened risk of forest fires across the region. What's behind the severe heatwaves in Europe? Experts say human-driven climate change is playing a major role in driving the extreme heat sweeping across Europe, especially in urban areas, where temperatures rise even higher due to what's known as the 'urban heat island' effect. This happens when heat gets trapped between buildings, concrete, and asphalt, making cities significantly hotter than surrounding rural areas. Emanuela Piervitali, a researcher at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, explained that heatwaves in the Mediterranean region have become more frequent and more intense over recent years. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Experts say human-driven climate change is playing a major role in driving the extreme heat sweeping across Europe, especially in urban areas, where temperatures rise even higher due to what's known as the 'urban heat island' effect. File image/Reuters 'The heat waves in the Mediterranean region have become more frequent and more intense in recent years, with peaks of 37 degrees [98.6 degrees Fahrenheit] or even more in cities, where the urban heat island effect raises the temperatures even further,' she told The Telegraph. She also warned that things could get worse in the future. '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.' Another factor behind the current heatwave is a high-pressure system known as a 'heat dome.' This weather pattern acts like a lid, trapping hot, dry air over a region and causing temperatures to rise steadily. As this dome moves eastward, it's pulling in hot air from North Africa, making conditions across southern Europe even more severe, reports The New York Times. A Lancet Public Health study published last year warned that heat-related deaths in Europe could triple by the end of the century, particularly in southern countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even if world leaders manage to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit)—a target set under the Paris Agreement—the study found that the combined yearly death toll from heat and cold could still increase from 4,07,000 today to about 4,50,000 by 2100. With input from agencies
