European heatwave - latest updates as red alerts and record temperatures continue

Authorities warn of heightened risk of fires from today

Huge wildfire rages on La Palma forcing thousands to evacuate

Firefighters battled a blaze in Rhodes as a new heatwave loomed over Greece, threatening to stoke tinderbox conditions across the country.

Greek meteorological service had warned of a heightened risk of fires from Thursday, as the country recovered from the first major heatwave of the summer.

A second heatwave was forecast to start on Thursday, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas, and rising further on Friday to a maximum of 44C.

Thousands have also been evacuated in the Canary Islands and Switzerland in recent days, as southern Europe is gripped by ongoing wildfires and extreme heat caused by the fossil-fuel-driven climate crisis.

Fires are common in Greece, but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the Mediterranean into a wildfire hotspot in recent years.

Temperature records were shattered in Rome and Catalonia on Wednesday as most of Italy’s big cities were placed under a red alert.

Key Points

• New heatwave looms over Greece
• How long is the heatwave in Europe expected to last?
• Why is there no UK heatwave as Europe swelters during Charon?
• Second heatwave expected to hit Greece today

[19 July 2023 07:00 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Why is there no UK heatwave?

A deadly heatwave sweeping across Europe with temperatures forecast to shatter records in the coming days stands in complete contrast to the weather faced by the United Kingdom that has had wet and windy conditions continuing this week.

As the UK gets prolonged showers – the Met Office predicts unsettled conditions to continue for the next few days – the Mediterranean region grapples with soaring heat that could touch a new European record as soon as this week.

Experts have said the European heatwave is because of an area of high pressure named after the underworld monster from Dante’s Inferno – Cerberus.

The area of high pressure comes as the world recently experienced record-shattering temperatures that have fuelled baking heatwaves in several countries like the US – that has seen contrasting weather extremes of its own.

The UK, on the other hand, finds itself under the influence of a different weather pattern that has brought in more rain and thus pulled down temperatures after the country got its hottest June on record, pointed out experts.

Stuti Mishra explains.

[19 July 2023 06:45 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Wildfires force hundreds to evacuate Greece as EU pledge assistance

Two wildfires swept uncontrolled through forestland and towns northwest of Athens, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes as authorities shut down highways to protect an oil refinery.

Water-dropping airplanes and helicopters flew low as a blanket of smoke tinted orange by the sunset to try and contain two wildfires to the west of Athens.

The EU has pledged additional assistance, while forecasts indicated more extreme heat was on the way.

Traffic was suspended for hours on two national roads connecting Athens with the cities of Elefsina and Corinth, where oil refineries operate. The flames were headed toward the seaside town of Nea Peramos.

Homes and a small shipyard in the town of Neos Pontos had been destroyed. Earlier a thick column of smoke rose into the sky after an explosion, a witness told Reuters.

A firefighting aircraft drops water to extinguish a wildfire at Aghios Charalambos area in Loutraki, Corinth, Greece (EPA)

[19 July 2023 06:30 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Britons recall ‘unbearable’ heat a year on

Residents in the town that recorded the UK’s highest temperature have recalled the “unbearable” heat one year on.

A temperature of 40.3C was recorded in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on 19 July 2022 as the country was hit with record-high temperatures for several days.

Trevor Pattinson, manager of RH Papworth butchers in the town, told PA news agency he and his staff still worked 10-hour days throughout the heatwave and despite the tough conditions, “everybody still wanted us to bake pies”.

He said: “We struggled, we topped out at 48 degrees inside when we had the big oven on.“We are always eight to 10 degrees warmer in the shop anyway. It was unbearable. We had to have lots of water and ice cream.”

Julia Harrington, who also works in the butchers, said she spent much of her day in the shop’s refrigerated unit due to the heat.

“We worry about having to do it next year. There was a report about a heatwave coming this year and we were all getting a bit twitchy,” she said.

[19 July 2023 06:15 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Satellite images reveal extent of heatwave across Europe

Satellite photos illustrating the ongoing exceptional heatwave in southern Europe have been released by the European Space Agency as global temperatures soar towards alarming highs with records expected to be broken.

One of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite images captured on Sunday reveals a clear view of Greece without clouds, while another uses data from the mission’s radiometer instrument to show the land surface temperature across Europe and parts of northern Africa on the first day of the recent heatwaves.

Meteorologists predict that temperatures this week could surpass Europe’s current record of 48.8C, set in Sicily in August 2021, while the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has forecast the heatwave is likely to last into August.

Tara Cobham reports.

[19 July 2023 05:47 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Families unable to cancel summer holidays despite extreme heat warnings and wildfires

Families face having to cancel their summer holidays to Spain and Greece with no compensation, despite the exceptional heatwave subjecting swathes of Europe to extreme temperatures and wildfires.

While the Foreign Office has issued warnings over scorching temperatures in both Spain and Greece, as wildfires rage on La Palma and near Athens, the UK government has so far stopped short of issuing “don’t travel” advice.

As a result, there is no automatic right for families to curtail, cancel or change planned trips, and holiday companies and airlines contacted by The Independent say normal terms and conditions will apply.

More from Simon Calder and Andy Gregory here.

[19 July 2023 05:45 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Rise in hospitalisations due to heat-related illness in Italy

There has been a sharp rise in the number of people seeking emergency care for heat-related illness as a severe heatwave continues to sweep Europe.

Hospitals reported a 20-25 per cent increase in the number of people at emergency units with complaints of dehydration or other illnesses caused by heat as temperatures in Rome hit 41.86C.

The Cardarelli hospital in Naples said 231 patients had accessed emergency care there within the last 24 hours, The Guardian reported.

While most patients were elderly, people of all ages, including tourists, have been seeking care.“We are experiencing an extremely delicate moment,” Antonio d’Amore, the hospital’s director-general told the daily.

Two per cent of the people admitted on Monday were in serious condition and 38 per cent in moderately critical condition, the director-general added.

[19 July 2023 05:15 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Sicily crosses 46C as temperatures forecast to soar

Sicily recorded 46.3C yesterday as the rest of southern Europe struggled with a severe heatwave, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The Spanish state meteorological service warned of temperatures between 42C and 44C and issued top-level red alerts for some interior parts of the country and the Balearic Islands.

Italy’s national meteorological service also issued red alerts for extreme heat in southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia, with temperatures well above 40C.

Parts of the Balkans are also under red alert.

The heat is forecast to intensify by the middle of the week in parts of the Mediterranean, including Greece and Turkey.

In Spain, the town of Figueres in Catalonia recorded 45.3C yesterday.

[19 July 2023 04:45 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

How long is the heatwave in Europe expected to last?

Europe is set to continue to bake under extreme heat for weeks as global temperatures soar towards alarming highs with records expected to be broken.

Another anticyclone dubbed “Charon”, who in Greek mythology was the ferryman of the dead, advanced into the Mediterranean region from North Africa on Sunday and could soon lift temperatures well above 45C in parts of Italy, Spain and Greece.

The unrelenting heatwave has shown no sign of abating on Tuesday, with Italy bracing for its highest-ever temperature as Sardinia and Sicily have been forecast to reach 48C. Meanwhile, 20 out of the country’s 27 main cities have been issued with red warning alerts - signalling a possible health threat for anyone exposed to the heat - with the number expected to rise to 23 on Wednesday.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has forecast the heatwave should intensify by mid-week, with a spokeswoman telling The Independent the “above normal temperatures” of the past week are expected to continue over the next week.

Tara Cobham has more.