Image: ALBERTO PIZZOLI (APA/AFP/ALBERTO PIZZOLI)
In Italy, the Ministry of Health in Rome has issued a red alert heat warning for several cities: In addition to the capital, these include Bologna and Florence. Several heat records could be broken in the country over the weekend. In Greece, the ancient landmark Acropolis in Athens will be closed again on Saturday.
In Europe, Austria, Germany, Spain, eastern France and Poland are also suffering from a heat wave. For Italy there is no cooling in sight for the following days either: on Tuesday it could even be 42 or 43 degrees hot in Rome. The previous heat record of 40.5 degrees from August 2007 for the Italian capital could fall. On the Italian Mediterranean island of Sardinia, the highest temperature ever measured in Europe of 48.8 degrees could be exceeded these days.
Footballers died in Italy
According to the newspaper “Il Messaggero”, two amateur footballers aged 48 and 51 died in the Naples region as a result of ailments believed to have been caused by the heat. Northern Italy is also not spared the extreme temperatures: 38 degrees are expected for Milan on Tuesday. Due to the progressing climate change, such situations occur much more frequently than in the past and are also more intense, meteorologist Claudio Cassardi told “Il Messaggero”.
In Greece, for the second day in a row, authorities are closing the Acropolis in Athens for the hottest hours of the day. As the Ministry of Culture announced, the landmark will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
44.2 degrees in Greece
Temperatures of 40 to 41 degrees were again expected in Athens on Saturday. On the Acropolis, however, “the temperature felt by the body (…) is significantly higher,” the ministry said. The day before there had been closing times for the tourist attraction. Several parks and green spaces in Athens will also be closed on Saturday. The hottest value of the year so far was measured in Greece on Friday. In Thebes it was 44.2 degrees hot.
According to the European Copernicus service, June was the warmest month worldwide since records began. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also declared the first week of July to be the hottest so far, based on preliminary data. The El Niño weather phenomenon is making the situation even worse.
The southern United States has been suffering from high temperatures for weeks. There is also great heat in North Africa and in some regions of China and eastern Japan.
Source: Nachrichten
