Overview and tips – These countries in Europe are dealing with scorching heat

In Spain the second official heat wave of this summer has weakened for the time being on Thursday. The weather service Aemet has only issued the highest red alert for the south of Gran Canaria. On the mainland, however, it remains very hot, especially in parts of Andalusia, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees.

The heat wave had previously hit people hard in many regions of Spain. The highest temperatures were measured just below 45 degrees in Andalusia and Murcia. The limit of 40 degrees was also sometimes exceeded on Mallorca.

Sardinia faces 47 degrees
Italy has been suffering from the heat for days. Because of “Cerbero” – the many-headed hellhound from Greek mythology – the 40-degree limit was cracked in Sardinia and in the Apulia region on Wednesday. For several cities, the Department of Health has declared the highest red alert for heat. And relaxation is not in sight: “Caronte” follows “Cerbero” with even higher temperatures. In parts of Sardinia it is even up to 47 degrees, in Sicily according to ESA 48 degrees.

In Greece People are also preparing for extremes: in Athens the thermometer is expected to rise to 41 degrees on Friday. The Ministry of Culture has instructed the managers of archaeological sites such as the Acropolis to temporarily close the visitor magnets for a few hours if it gets too hot.

Many communities keep air-conditioned halls open for shelter. Particular attention should be paid to the elderly, the sick and small children, it said. In addition, pets and stray animals should not be forgotten – they must be provided with sufficient water everywhere.

In Bulgaria it’s the first heat wave of the year: On Thursday, authorities announced the second highest warning level, orange – the warmest day since the beginning of the year. In Plovdiv and in Russe on the Danube, maximum temperatures are up to 41 degrees. According to meteorologists, the heat wave should keep the country firmly under control for about ten days. On the Black Sea coast it remains more pleasant with about 32 degrees.

Also in the Turkish The weather service warns of intense heat for the weekend. In the west of the country, temperatures will be up to ten degrees above the usual temperature for the season in the coming days, in other parts of the country up to six degrees above normal. Temperatures of up to 42 degrees are expected in the holiday region of Antalya at the weekend.

Also in the regions devastated by the earthquake in February Southeast Turkey it gets hot up to 40 degrees. This is especially bitter for the people there: many of them still live in emergency shelters.

Tips against the heat:

• Avoid the midday heat outside and, if possible, have a siesta
• Drink water – this is just as important as loose, light clothing
• Abstaining from alcohol – this creates an additional load on the circulatory system
• You can find more tips HERE!

Also in Austria next week it will be very hot (see weather forecast below). Although showers are always to be expected, temperatures remain high – we can expect up to 38 degrees.

Warmest week on record
Only recently was a global heat record surpassed: according to the US platform “Climate Reanalyzer”, the average global temperature for a week from July 3 was above the previous record value of 2016 – making it the warmest week since records began. The high temperatures are also increasingly reflected in the number of deaths: more than 60,000 heat-related deaths occurred in Europe in the summer of 2022 (see video above).