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Heat in Rome: temperature record could be broken in the coming days

Photo: Remo Casilli / REUTERS

Already on Monday, temperatures in Rome reached 39 degrees Celsius – so it was hotter in the Italian capital than in Palermo, Sicily. In Spain, 44.7 degrees were reported in the south of the country near the Andalusian city of Jaén. Meteorologists expect temperatures in the coming week to surpass the current European record of 48.8 degrees Celsius, set in Sicily in August 2021.

Such ever new heat records in the Mediterranean region could permanently change the flow of tourists. Data from the European Travel Commission (ETC) shows that the number of people wanting to travel to southern Europe from June to November has already fallen by ten percent compared to last year, when scorching weather led to droughts and wildfires. On the other hand, countries such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland and Bulgaria are enjoying a sharp increase in interest.

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"We expect that unpredictable weather conditions will have a greater impact on the decisions of travelers in Europe in the future," said ETC Director Miguel Sanz. A report by the umbrella organization of European tourism marketing organizations shows that 7.6 percent of travelers see extreme weather events as the main problem with summer travel. Cooler destinations or spring and autumn could become more important as the preferred holiday season, the associations predict.

What is the situation in European holiday destinations?

  • For Tuesday, Italy and other countries in the Mediterranean region expect the peak of the most violent heat wave of the summer so far: In Sicily and Sardinia, temperatures of up to 48 degrees are expected, according to the European Space Agency ESA. The Italian weather service warned of "one of the most intense heat waves of all time".

  • Greece has been groaning under the first heat wave of the year since the end of last week. According to the National Observatory of Athens, a maximum temperature of 44.2 degrees was recorded in the Thebes region in the center of the country over the weekend. With temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees in Athens, the Acropolis remained closed from Friday to Sunday during the hottest hours of the day. For the next few days, the Greek weather service EMY predicted a slight cooling of two to four degrees. But as early as Thursday, another heat wave with maximum temperatures of up to 43 degrees is to follow. A spokesman for the fire brigade warned that in view of the temperatures, the risk of forest fires would also increase significantly. Near Athens, rescue workers from home and abroad fought fires.

  • In Spain, the third official heat wave of the summer has begun. With temperatures of up to 47 degrees in the south, heat alarms were declared on Monday in 12 of the 17 so-called autonomous communities. The result was deserted streets and full beaches in many places. In Madrid, the temperature was up to 39 degrees on Monday. The second heat wave with temperatures of almost 45 degrees had only ended in Spain on Thursday, the third is now expected to last until Wednesday.

  • In contrast to the first two heat waves, this time, in addition to the region of Andalusia and parts of Catalonia and Navarre, the focus will also be on the German holiday stronghold of Mallorca with particularly high temperatures announced. At the Ballermann, 36 degrees were already measured on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday, the thermometer is expected to reach the 44-degree mark in Inca, according to the experts. That would be the highest value measured in Mallorca so far this year. On Monday, temperatures were "five to ten degrees above average in large parts of the interior of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands," said the weather service Aemet. On Tuesday, the temperature could be "between 10 and 15 degrees" above normal in some places.

  • Not only in Europe, but also in North America, North Africa and Asia, there is currently extreme heat. In Morocco, the weather service announced a heat wave lasting until Tuesday with temperatures of up to 47 degrees and also warned of water shortages. In northwestern China, up to 52.2 degrees were measured. In Japan, authorities warned people to be cautious because of high temperatures and the risk of heat stroke.

Heat at night more dangerous for health

Not only the daytime temperatures, but also the nightly lows will reach new highs. "While most attention is focused on daytime maximum temperatures, it is nighttime temperatures that pose the greatest health risks, especially for vulnerable populations," the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) explained.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, a researcher specializing in the study of heat waves said that the high temperatures that Europe is currently experiencing would inevitably increase. "The heat wave in the Mediterranean region is large, but not comparable to the heat wave in North Africa," emphasized WMO specialist John Nairn. A year ago, too, a heat wave hit Europe with record levels, and then, as now, fire brigades in many countries were battling ongoing forest fires.

abl/Reuters/AFP