Much of the European continent is suffering from a prolonged heatwave with temperatures often exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
Meteorologists in several countries have issued deadly heatwave alerts as temperatures soar and the risk of wildfires remains extremely high.
By next week, France, the U.K., and much of Central Europe will also be impacted, while record temperatures are expected in Italy as well. An African anticyclone will make its presence felt, bringing temperatures of up to 38-39 degrees Celsius on the peninsula and up to 42 degrees on islands like Sardinia.
At the weather station located at 4,750 meters above sea level on Mount Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, temperatures above 0 degrees Celsius were recorded for 33 consecutive hours — a first.
Meteorologists have issued extreme-risk warnings in Spain.
“We have already had almost two and a half weeks of higher-than-normal temperatures for this period across peninsular Spain, and the situation will not improve in the coming days,” said Radu Trascău, an Antena 3 correspondent in Spain.
“The hot air mass is expected to remain over most of the peninsula, and temperatures will reach and even exceed a critical level of 42 degrees Celsius,” he added.
France, which recently hosted the Olympic Games, has been experiencing extreme heat for some time, and the deadly heatwave alert issued by specialists is still in force. More than 40 departments were under code orange until Monday, and the weather emergency will continue in the coming days.
In nine of France’s departments, the air became simply unbreathable, while temperatures in the shade were between 34 and 38 degrees Celsius.
Over 47,000 Europeans died last summer from extreme heat.
