An anticyclone named Cerberus has been moving up from North Africa toward southern Europe and is forecasted to bring record-breaking temperatures to the region, putting millions under heat wave advisories amid an already heavy tourist season.
“Temperatures are sizzling across Europe this week amid an intense and prolonged period of heat. And it’s only just begun,” the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a statement. “Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing a major heat wave with air temperatures expected to climb to 48°C (118.4°F) on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia – potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe.”
The disastrous heat wave has already prompted Greece to close the popular tourist site of the ancient Acropolis during the hottest part of the day on Friday in a bid to shelter visitors from the dangerous heat wave. The country is preparing for temperatures that could reach 44°C (107.6°F) on Friday and Saturday. Meanwhile, tourists in Rome have already collapsed after experiencing heat strokes.
Air temperatures in parts of Spain are expected to reach 44°C (111.2°F), while land surface temperatures in Seville will hit 47°C (116.6°F).
On Wednesday, Alessandro Miani, the president of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA) told a state broadcaster that Italy has a record of being a European country with the highest number of deaths caused by heat waves. By Friday, the Italian Health Ministry issued an “extreme” health risk warning for at least 15 cities, as Cerberus will persist through Saturday and Sunday.
The extreme heat in Italy has already killed a 44-year-old worker that was painting a zebra crossing in the town of Lodi, outside of Milan on Tuesday.
Europe’s extreme temperatures follow record-breaking global temperatures, with the World Meteorological Organization announcing on Monday that the planet saw its hottest few days on record in the first few days of July.
Governments across Europe have not been able to accommodate for extreme heat in the region since it first experienced such emergencies in 2003, during the continent's hottest year on record which left an estimated 70,000 people dead.
While some European governments have tried to put in place some strategies such as warning systems and cooling spaces, they have also missed carbon emission targets intended to slow climate change, which is exacerbating the heat and has contributed to at least 60% of observed deaths, experts say.