HOLIDAYGOERS have been issued health warnings with red alerts in place for 16 cities across Italy as southern Europe continues to suffer extreme heatwaves.
It has been stressed the alerts apply to healthy individuals as well, covering popular destinations such as Rome, Florence, and Bologna.
More high temperatures are expected in Europe for another week as temperatures continue to rise.
The European Space Agency (ESA) says Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland may see extreme conditions.
Heatwaves across Europe forced Greece's to close the ancient Acropolis in Athens. In Italy, meteorologists are calling the next phase of the heatwave ‘Charon.’ Temperatures could break Europe's current record https://t.co/4ZtOc5xS7e pic.twitter.com/AjKB50F2cB
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 15, 2023
The ESA monitors land and sea temperatures via its satellites.
Periods of intense heat occur within natural weather patterns, but globally they are becoming more frequent, more intense and lasting longer due to global warming.
The Italian government has advised anyone in the areas covered by Saturday's red alerts to avoid direct sunlight between 11:00 and 18:00, and to take particular care of the elderly or vulnerable.
Meanwhile, Greece has hit temperatures 40C (104F) or more in recent days. The Acropolis - the country's most popular tourist attraction - was closed during the hottest hours of Friday to protect visitors.
There are also fears in the country of a greater risk of wildfires, especially in areas with high winds. It suffered major wildfires in 2021 in another exceptional heatwave.
High temperatures have also been reaching into central parts of Europe, with Germany and Poland among the countries affected.
Italy is sweltering under a deadly heat wave that could break European temperature records. https://t.co/LT754kQCPT
— CNN (@CNN) July 12, 2023
Czech Republic's meteorological office issued a warning that temperatures over the weekend could go above 38C, which is exceptionally high for the country.
In contrast to the rest of Europe, however, the UK can expect heavy showers and gusty winds in parts of England this weekend and into next week.
Meteorologists said this was because the southern shift of the jet stream, which was fuelling the hot weather in Europe, was also drawing low-pressure systems into the UK - bringing unsettled and cooler weather.
The current heatwave in Europe has been named Cerberus by the Italian Meteorological Society, after the three-headed monster that features in Dante's Inferno.
Heatwaves are also being seen in parts of the US, China, North Africa and Japan.
