Heat wave hits southern Europe and Italy

Heat wave hits southern Europe and Italy

HOT: It's very hot in southern Europe. This boy cools down in the Iber river in Mitrovica, where temperatures exceeded 40 degrees in several places in Kosovo on Wednesday. Photo: Armind Nemani/AFP

Temperatures will rise in southern Europe in the future. In Italy, danger warnings have been sent to up to 12 cities.

In southern parts of Europe and the Balkan Peninsula, temperatures of over 40 degrees have been recorded. And it will get worse, the report says. AFP.

“It's unbearably hot,” Carmen Diaz, a tourist from Madrid visiting Rome, told the news agency.

Authorities in several cities in southern Europe and the Balkans have taken measures to protect citizens, especially the elderly, and have proposed, among other things, firefighting aircraft to combat forest fires in southern Italy and northern Macedonia.

Are you affected by the extreme heat where you live? Contact VG here!

May become more frequent

It is assumed that the reason is air currents coming from Africa. They inhabit the southeastern part of Europe, especially Italy and partly Greece.

This is what Ingvild Ville, a meteorologist on duty at the Meteorological Institute, told VG.

– In some places in Italy and the East it can reach 40 degrees. The temperature in Rome seems to be 39 degrees, while in Athens it can reach 38 degrees, she says.

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Photo of Ingvild Ville, duty meteorologist at the Meteorological Institute

Temperatures are expected to rise in many popular destinations for Norwegians who love to travel in the future:

  • Torrevieja: Recorded 39 degrees on Sunday
  • Alicante: Recorded 36 degrees on Sunday
  • Sicily: It recorded 43 degrees on Monday.
  • Dubrovnik: It recorded 36 degrees on Thursday.
  • Rhodes: 34 degrees recorded in the coming days

Source: Year

She says it's all about warm air masses causing the temperature to rise dramatically.

– Throughout the week, temperatures may drop slightly in the affected areas, but eventually they may become warmer throughout Spain. Air masses move south and southeast along the coast.

It's not unnatural for us to experience periods of heat waves, but they may become more frequent as climate change causes global temperatures to rise, Villa explains.

For Norwegians vacationing in warmer regions, the meteorologist offers the following advice:

  • Avoid going out in the sun, especially in the middle of the day.
  • Limit outdoor activities
  • drink a lot of water
  • Follow the measures taken by the local population.
  • Soak the clothes in water.

Athens is also experiencing high temperatures. Photo: Petros Giannakouris/AP/NTB

– More and more power

“We tend to have one or two heat waves a year, and they are getting stronger and stronger. What is starting now is the typical evolution,” explains Björn Samset, a climate researcher at CICERO.

He says this is the first strong heatwave in southern Europe this year.

Photo by Björn Samset, climate researcher at CICERO

It involves an area of ​​high pressure that appears to be here for some time, with a high pressure in the middle and two low pressures on the sides. In technical language it is called a “high pressure dam.”

– When it first starts in an already warm area, it's like putting a lid on a pot. This means that the hot air is compressed and trapped underneath. All the moisture rises into the air but it doesn't go anywhere. It becomes a kind of sauna effect.

More ban

Based on various forecasts, Samset says this will continue and evolve to gradually spread to Western Europe.

There may be varying degrees of heat and extreme heat during the coming days and weeks.

– The temperature also means that the maritime areas around Italy and parts of the Mediterranean are very warm. As it moves, there is a lot of moisture available in an area that is already warm. He says the potential for heavy rain will be high from August onwards.

Greece, a popular destination for sun-loving Norwegians, is also experiencing extreme heat. There, air-conditioned areas have been made available to locals.

In the hottest periods, when temperatures reach 40 degrees, a ban is imposed on physical labor, delivery of products and construction work.

Last month, temperatures reached 40 degrees in the Spanish city of Cordoba. Photo: John Nazca/Reuters/NTB

Norwegians should prepare

In Albania, a 72-year-old man was found dead on his farm, a few hundred kilometres from the capital Tirana, where temperatures are expected to reach 42 degrees.

The cause of death is believed to be due to high temperature, according to local media.

The researcher encourages Norwegians heading south to prepare for extremely hot conditions.

“It’s obviously dangerous. We see it primarily in people and nature. We’re used to heat waves, but now there are more and more of them. And if it lasts long enough, people can get sick and actually die if they don’t take care to get enough water,” he says.

By Bond Robertson

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