This year’s tourism season has been incredibly hot, with temperatures in the northern hemisphere reaching unprecedented heights that are projected to continue rising. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), popular tourist destinations in Europe, like parts of Greece, eastern Spain, Sardinia, Sicily, and southern Italy, are currently experiencing the peak of their heat waves, with temperatures surpassing 45 Celsius last week. “We must intensify our efforts to help society adapt to what is, unfortunately, becoming the new normal. The WMO community is providing forecasts and warnings to safeguard lives and livelihoods as we work toward achieving our goal of Early Warnings for All,” stated WMO secretary-general Prof. Petteri Taalas on the organization’s webpage.
The Italian Meteorological Society has aptly named the scorching heat wave in southern Europe “Cerberus,” after the mythical three-headed dog guarding the gates of the Underworld. Currently, the hottest destination in Europe is Italy. The WMO recently reported temperatures of 46.3 Celsius in Licata, Sicily, and 45.8 Celsius in Riesi, Sicily, on July 18. Málaga, Spain reached 44.2 Celsius on July 19, tied with the previous all-time maximum temperature recorded on July 18, 1978. The hottest location in Spain right now is Figueres, which reached 45.4 Celsius on July 18. In France, Tiranges and Serralongue saw temperatures of around 40 Celsius last week, while Mandelieu la Napoule and Cannes were close behind at 39 Celsius. Greece is currently experiencing its highest temperatures in 50 years.
Several European countries, including France, Italy, Greece, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North-Macedonia, and Serbia, have issued orange and red alerts for high temperatures on July 20 and 21, according to the WMO. The previous record for the highest temperature in Europe was 48.8 Celsius reached in Sicily in August 2021, while the global record stands at 56.7 Celsius from Death Valley, Calif., in July 1913.
Travel expert Marty Firestone assures that travelers don’t need to cancel their plans due to the heat but advises taking necessary precautions to ensure safety. He suggests making sure accommodations have access to a pool and good air conditioning. Firestone also notes that people are altering their travel patterns due to the heatwaves, opting to visit hotspots in the fall and winter instead of the scorching summer months. This change in travel habits may become a new trend.
The exceptionally high temperatures are partially attributed to the onset of El Niño, according to the WMO. This phenomenon is expected to fuel more heat on land and in the oceans, resulting in more extreme heat waves. Experts estimate that over 60,000 Europeans may have perished in heatwaves last year despite having sophisticated early warning systems.
Randall Cerveny, WMO weather and climate extremes rapporteur, stated that if any new extreme temperature records are set during the ongoing heatwaves, the organization will promptly issue a preliminary assessment followed by detailed evaluations as part of their meticulous verification process.
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