Heatwave spreads across southern Europe, with temperatures reaching 46ºC in Spain
An early heatwave for the summer that has just begun in the northern hemisphere hits southern Europe this weekend, with temperatures of 46ºC recorded this Saturday (28) in Spain, which could break the record for the month of June.
The heat wave will have an even greater impact on Sunday (29) in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, where several cities are on red alert.
“46ºC were reached in El Granado,” the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) said on Saturday on X. “The data, which is awaiting validation, would represent the highest temperature measured in Spain in June since records began,” it added.
In Spain, there are several regions on orange alert, the second highest, and the worst of this heatwave is expected for Sunday and, with greater uncertainty, for Monday, in the southwest of the country and in some areas of the northeast.
In Seville, Andalusia, residents and tourists sought shelter from the intense heat, with temperatures reaching close to 43ºC.
“Lots of cream, sun protection, on your face, on everything, everywhere, and very light clothing. Because the heat demands light clothing,” explained Marta Corona, a 60-year-old tourist with a fan in her hand.
The intense heat also contributes to the warming of the sea waters of the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, which “exceed 26°C: a record figure for these dates, typical of mid-August”, highlighted Aemet in the X.
Spain is on the front line of climate change and the last three years have been the hottest in its history, with several heat waves and temperature records.
In Italy, 17 cities have been on red alert since Saturday, both in the north, such as Milan, Bologna and Turin, and in the south, especially in Naples and Palermo, where maximum temperatures of 39ºC are expected.
In Rome, thermometers were already showing 30ºC at 10 am local time (5 am in Brasília) and temperatures are expected to rise to 37ºC, according to forecasts.
Some regions, such as Liguria and Sicily, have enacted decrees banning outdoor work during peak hours, and unions are campaigning to extend the ban to other regions.
The heatwave will be even stronger on Sunday, with 21 cities on red alert.
The heat has already caused an increase in the number of emergency calls in the last week, according to the Ansa news agency.
“I try not to think about it, but I drink a lot of water and I never sit still, because that's when you get sunstroke,” Italian student Sriane Minà told AFPTV in Venice on Friday.
Scientists have been warning for years about the impact of climate change on heat waves, droughts and other extreme weather events, which are becoming more intense and frequent.
In Portugal, two-thirds of the country will be on orange alert on Sunday, with 42°C expected in Lisbon and a maximum risk of fires.
The danger is also mounting in France, where temperatures could reach 35°C in at least two-thirds of the country on Sunday and Monday.
Tristan Amm, a meteorologist at Météo-France, warned that there will be “very unpleasant” nights, with temperatures not falling below 20ºC.
The heatwave hit the south of the country for a second day on Saturday before spreading north, increasing the risk of fires. It is expected to last until at least Tuesday.
The cause of this new spike in high temperatures in France is a “heat dome”. This mechanism resembles a large and powerful anticyclone that forms a kind of lid that blocks the air in the lower layers, preventing disturbances from entering, while gradually warming it.
In Marseille, in the south of the country, the city council announced that municipal swimming pools will be free of charge and published a map of public areas with air conditioning.
In Nice, also in the south, the city announced that around 250 portable ventilators had been distributed “in the last two weeks” to schools and isolated elderly people.
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