A heat wave in the Mediterranean will continue into next week, and many countries are on high alert
Photo taken in Les Brenets on August 4, 2022 shows the dry bed of Lake Brenets (Lac des Brenets), part of the Doubs River, a natural border between eastern France and western Switzerland, while much of Europe warmed by a third in a heat wave since June. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
A heat wave will continue to hit Mediterranean coastal areas across Europe next week, with several countries issuing weather advisories.
Heat warnings have been issued for large parts of coastal areas in Italy and France, with temperatures expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius or higher, due to concerns about heat illness and dehydration, according to data provided by the European Meteorological Services Network EUMETNET. Weekend.
France is experiencing “the worst drought in its history” and fears the situation could worsen, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Friday.
“France is experiencing a long drought, which is already affecting the entire landscape. This drought is the most severe drought ever recorded in our country,” Bourne announced, opening an intermediate unit to coordinate the drought crisis.
“Rain shortage is worsened by the accumulation of persistent heatwaves that will strengthen evaporation and water requirements. Weather forecasts suggest that the situation may persist or become more worrisome for the next 15 days,” he added.
French metrological service Météo France predicted a “less intense heat wave than before” and a drop in temperature, but local highs of 39°C (102 Fahrenheit) near the Mediterranean Sea were still possible. Rhone Valley.
In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence province in the country’s southeast, the fire is still active, but local authorities confirm there are “no direct threats to human or material objects” and that the crisis unit has been closed. .
Neighboring Italy will continue to suffer from the intense heat wave that has plagued Italy for weeks. This Friday, three cities received a red alert label, and 16 cities – from northern Trieste to southern Palermo – will receive red alerts on Saturday, the Italian health ministry said.
A red alert in Italy means the general public – as opposed to the elderly and frail – could be affected by the heat wave. Temperatures in Milan reached 102 Fahrenheit (39°C) on Friday, the Italian Air Force said.
Umberto Capitani, director of the Stelvio cable cars, one of the most popular glaciers for summer skiing, told CNN that the lifts have been closed since July 20 due to high temperatures. Capitani said that in his twenty years of professional experience, a ski lift has never been closed in July in the country.
“We’ve had days where the freezing level was consistently above 4,000 meters. The heat and humidity don’t freeze the snow even at night, so cracks can open,” Capitani said, citing the defense.
Rain and strong winds are expected in many parts of northern Italy this Saturday, according to an Italian civil defense report this Friday.
In Spain on Friday, temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius in large parts of the southern part of the peninsula and parts of the northern plateau.
Forecasts indicate that the heat will continue to affect countries around the Iberian Peninsula until next week.
In Greece, firefighters early evacuated the village of Ano Vilichada in the western Attica region, with 55 firefighters, 15 fire engines and three helicopters battling the wildfire, the brigade said. Greek public broadcaster ERT reported that the situation had improved on Friday afternoon.
