Greek Prime Minister forewarns of arduous times amid surging temperatures

Europe is bracing itself for another heatwave that will push temperatures back towards record levels, as a pervasive “heat dome” expands over the southern half of the continent.

This comes shortly after the planet experienced its hottest day on record for the third time in just four days earlier this month, with temperatures soaring above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in both the U.S. and China.

The scorching heatwave affecting millions of people worldwide is a clear consequence of the climate emergency. Scientists emphasize that these record-breaking temperatures only strengthen the urgency to rapidly and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Recent days have seen intense and prolonged heatwaves across parts of Greece, eastern Spain, and the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius.

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reported on its website that Europe is currently experiencing some of the highest temperatures of the summer, as the expanding “heat dome” allows warm air to accumulate.

A heat dome occurs when a high-pressure system in the atmosphere acts as a cap, trapping hot air and creating large areas of sweltering heat.

Meteorologists at ECMWF have predicted that a “slightly less hot air mass from the north” will bring some relief from Thursday onwards. However, this respite may be short-lived as another period of extreme heat is expected towards the end of this week and the beginning of next week.

In Italy, temperatures in the central and southern regions are projected to reach peak levels close to 40 degrees Celsius in the next few days, before another hot air mass returns and potentially breaks records once again.

The Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily have already approached the European temperature record in recent days.

Meteo.it, the Italian weather news service, has stated that next week’s heatwave could result in temperatures peaking at 47 degrees Celsius in the south and on the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Sicily.

To combat the extreme heat, the Italian government has issued red alerts for 23 cities, signifying that the health ministry considers the heat to pose a risk to the entire population, except for four major cities that are currently not on red alert.

In Greece, wildfires have subsided gradually after the arrival of water bombers and reinforcements from Italy, France, and Israel. These forces have aided emergency workers in battling the forest fires that devastated large areas this week. However, temperatures across the country continue to rise, with a projection of reaching 45 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned that the challenges are far from over, stating, “We are facing another heatwave and a possible strengthening of the winds… absolute vigilance and readiness are required in the next few days.” Sky News reports.

In response, Greece’s Culture Ministry has announced that all archaeological sites and monuments, including the Acropolis, will close every afternoon until Sunday.

The state weather agency in Spain, AEMET, has stated that extreme heat is expected to subside in most parts of the country during the last week of July, with temperatures dropping to below-average levels.

This follows a series of temperature records set nationwide, including Malaga airport witnessing its hottest night since records began over 70 years ago, with temperatures not falling below 31.6 degrees Celsius overnight.