Europe Issues Heatwave Alerts As Temperatures Top More Than 100 Degrees
Travelers should be cautious of the dangerous heat, experts warn.
Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Extreme heat across Europe is putting a damper on tourism as officials issue warnings and some popular attractions close.
In Italy, the Ministry of Health issued its highest heat warnings for cities across the country, including Naples, Palermo, and Rome. And in Greece, CNN reported officials shut the famous Acropolis of Athens amid the scorching temperatures.
The warnings come as temperatures topped more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit across much of Europe, Reuters reported. And temperatures on the island of Sardinia could even reach as high as more than 116 degrees Fahrenheit.
The World Meteorological Organization said weekly temperatures are being recorded in the Mediterranean at up to 5 degrees Celsius above their average. And the heat is only expected to “intensify” as the week goes on in parts of the Mediterranean, including in Greece and Turkey.
Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Reuters reported the EU's emergency response coordination centre has issued heat-related red alerts for large parts of Italy, northeastern Spain, Croatia, Serbia, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Tourists have continued to explore during what has become a record-setting summer for travel. In Italy, the wire service noted travelers are splashing around in Rome’s fountains and standing under giant fans outside the Colosseum. And in Greece, volunteers from the Hellenic Red Cross handed out free bottles of water to visitors, The New York Times reported.
Still, experts warn travelers should be cautious of the dangerous heat.
“Heat waves are really an invisible killer,” Panu Saaristo, the emergency health team leader for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told The Associated Press. “We are experiencing hotter and hotter temperatures for longer stretches of time every single summer here in Europe.”
Europe isn’t alone in dealing with extreme temperatures. In fact, the temperature was recorded as high as 128 degrees Fahrenheit in California’s Death Valley National Park on July 16, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Travelers who do go outside should make sure they hydrate, come prepared, and go indoors when needed.
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