Southern Europe is literally “melting” in the heat: Athens is closing tourist attractions during the day, in Romania overload is knocking out the power grid, in Italy four people have already died from extreme temperatures.
Southern Europe is sweltering, In several countries, mercury levels routinely and confidently exceed the 40°C mark every day.
In the Roman zoo, animals are saved from the heat with frozen food: herbivores are given fruits and vegetables with ice, and predators are given frozen meat and fish. However, many animals prefer to escape the hot air in the water.
Ministry of Health Italy issued the highest weather warning for 17 major cities, including the capital, Florence and Bologna. The heatwave has officially killed four people.
In Romania Air conditioners are not turned off in homes and offices, which leads to unprecedented electricity consumption. Electricity prices have quadrupled, and sometimes the overload has brought the grid down – several areas in the west of the country, for example, were left without electricity for two days.
Spanish authorities are running a campaign to warn people of the dangers of excessively high temperatures for people who work mainly outside – the risk of heat stroke is much higher these days. Orange heat warnings have been issued in several areas of the country.
In Greece The unbearable heat has been going on for a week and a half. Athens has decided to close the Acropolis and other tourist attractions to visitors during the middle of the day, the hottest time of day. According to forecasts, the heat in most parts of the country will continue until the middle of next week.
During the hottest time of day, working outdoors in Greece has already been banned; in the last 10 days, the air temperature has remained above 30 degrees in Athens even at night.
In Portugal Around 40 municipalities are at risk of fires due to the hot weather. In the capital of Kosovo, firefighters have come to the aid of citizens: water trucks parked on the streets help passers-by to cool down.
Southern Europe is experiencing extreme heat due to an anticyclone coming from Africa. Air temperatures in many European capitals are reaching 38-41°C. Authorities recommend going out less during peak heat hours and drinking more water. According to meteorologists, the heat will last until Sunday.
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