Heatwave in Southern Europe Reaches Record Highs
Several countries in the south of Europe are experiencing record temperatures as the region continues to suffer a sweltering heatwave.
The heatwave has lead to wildfires, drought, and even death, in various European countries. Meteorologists have said that the current heatwave is the worst that this region has seen in years, Some cities and villages have recorded the highest temperatures in history over this summer.
Italy is currently dealing with 23 separate wildfires.
The Italian government has been forced to declare a state of emergency in both Parma and Piacenza, which was necessary in order to free up more government funds to help deal with the crisis. Parma and Piacenza are both mainly agricultural towns and the drought in the area has severely affected livestock and crops.
In the Sicilian capital of Palermo, wildfires caused the evacuation of more than 700 tourists at a popular seaside resort on Wednesday, as temperatures soared above 40° C.
In Greece, the ministry of culture closed several archeological tourist attractions across the country, including the Acropolis of Athens.
Municipal authorities in Athens opened what they have called ‘friendship clubs’ across the city. These are essentially air conditioned rooms where the elderly can cool off.
These clubs are open to the public between 8am and 8pm.
“A lot of older people who can’t afford to keep their homes cool and are vulnerable have been coming in,” a municipal worker in Athens told reporters.
In Spain, temperatures exceeded 44° C in seven cities on Thursday, including the country’s capital of Madrid.
In Cordoba in Andalusia, temperatures reached a record high of 47°C.
The heatwave has resulted in dozens of people being hospitalised for heatstroke. In the Spanish town of Moron de la Frontera, a road worker died after laying asphalt in the sweltering heat.
The Spanish meteorological agency said that the intense heatwave is being caused by a mass of hot air moving into the south of Europe from North Africa and by a lack of cloud cover over the Iberian peninsula.
The intense heat is expected to continue until next week. The government has warned people to protect themselves accordingly.
Image credit: Heatwave in Spain (2017) [online image] sourced on 14 July 2017 at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33316985
