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Fires, victims and emergencies from the heat, the experts: This week the next wave is expected in Europe

2023-07-16 19:21:00Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Fires, victims and emergencies from the heat, the experts: This week the next
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Southeastern Europe continues to face what experts are calling "heat storms". Spain, Italy and Greece are the most affected countries. The Acropolis is still closed today in Athens until the afternoon. A Spanish island has evacuated four thousand residents from the risk of forest fires.

The European Space Agency announced record numbers, saying that the high temperatures that come mainly as a result of climate change are part of a new reality that the world must adapt to.

Spain, Italy and Greece have been experiencing scorching temperatures for several days, damaging agriculture and making vacations difficult for tourists.

The European Space Agency, which observes the temperature of the earth's surface from space, warns that there will be higher temperatures in the coming days.

"Last week, we recorded the temperature of the earth's surface at 60 degrees Celsius. This is not air temperature in the meteorological sense, but it shows the actual temperature of the earth's surface, how it would feel to the touch. And we believe it will intensify," says Clement Albergel, Climate Applications Scientist at the European Space Agency.

Italy issued a heat alert for 16 cities today as meteorologists warned that temperatures will reach record highs across southern Europe in the coming days.

Tourists only got to enjoy Venice for a short time in the face of soaring temperatures on Saturday. The city is gearing up for the "Redentore" festival, a religious and folk festival commemorating the end of the devastating plague of 1575, which killed more than 50,000 Venetians in two years.

“The heat is really harmful to us because the heat in the gondolas reaches up to 50 degrees. I'm one of the few who use a floor covering to keep the gondola heat from burning my feet. Sometimes tourists can't step into the gondolas because of the heat," says Vincenco, a gondolier in Venice.

In the morning, large groups of tourists walked around with tents while others tried to find other options for protection.

On the Spanish island of La Parma, at least 4,000 people were evacuated after a forest fire raged out of control, authorities said.

Ten air units and 300 firefighters on the ground battled the blaze on the island, which is part of a Spanish archipelago off the west African coast.

At least 13 houses were destroyed as the fire spread, said Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands.

"I have seen many fires, but none like this one. This is terrible, terrible," said one evacuee who did not want to be identified.

In Athens, while temperatures were forecast to reach 41 degrees Celsius for three days in a row, authorities kept the archaeological site of the Acropolis closed even during the hottest hours on Sunday.

The Parthenon temple, which is visited by millions of tourists every year and has no shade, was closed from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm according to the Greek daily 'Kathimerini'.

"The heat, it's tough, but we'll take it because I don't know if we'll come again, so we have to take this opportunity. We will drink water, wear hats and rest when we can", says the tourist from the United States, Pandora Sohal while staying in Athens.

Italy's Health Minister Orazio Schillaci said authorities were keeping a close eye on Rome.

"Going to the Colosseum when it's 43 degrees Celsius is not advisable, especially for an elderly person," he told Il Messaggero newspaper on Sunday.

Apart from the Italian capital, health alerts are in place from the city of Florence to Palermo in Sicily and Bari, in the southeast of the peninsula.

Italian meteorologists are calling this heat phase "Charon," a reference to a Greek mythological figure dealing with the souls of the dead. Charon swept into the region from North Africa on Sunday and could raise temperatures above 45 Celsius in parts of Italy.

According to the European Space Agency, another heat wave is expected in Southern Europe next week with even higher temperatures.

"Our society has to adapt to these temperatures that are becoming a kind of new normal, year after year. Due to climate change we can feel these heat waves happening with a higher frequency. What we experienced last year and now is a warning for our future climate," says European Space Agency scientist Clement Alebergel.

He said high temperatures can cause a range of health problems, from heat exhaustion and severe dehydration, to increasing the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Mr. Alebergel said that apart from southeastern Europe, everywhere around the globe, from Japan to North America, record-setting temperatures are expected in the coming days. / Voice of America


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