Title: Europe Braces for Second Extreme Heat Wave, Raises Health Concerns and Fire Risks
Subtitle: Unrelenting heatwave in Southern Europe prompts warnings from experts and calls for urgent action on the climate crisis
Date: [Insert Date]
Blisteringly high temperatures are expected to persist across parts of southern Europe this week, as the continent prepares for its second wave of extreme heat, putting people’s health at risk and increasing the likelihood of wildfires. Following last week’s “Cerberus” heatwave, Italian weather forecasters have named the new heatwave “Charon,” after the ferryman in Greek mythology who transports souls to the underworld. Italy, Spain, and Greece have already been grappling with unrelenting heat for several days, and the European Space Agency (ESA) has warned that the worst is yet to come.
Italy, particularly hard-hit, is projected to experience temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in many cities. Climate scientist and professor Hannah Cloke from the University of Reading compared the situation to a giant oven over the Mediterranean, describing the bubble of hot air from Africa as turning Italy and surrounding countries into a giant pizza oven.
The effects of the extreme heat are being felt globally, with the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, urging world leaders to take immediate action on the climate crisis. As temperatures reached record-breaking levels in China and Death Valley, California, Tedros emphasized that climate change is no longer a warning but a reality that demands urgent action from world leaders.
Scientists have established a clear link between human-caused climate change and the intensification of extreme weather events such as heatwaves. With global temperatures already risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels due to the burning of fossil fuels, experts like Simon Lewis, the chair of global change science at the University College London, warn that “this is just the beginning.” Lewis emphasizes the urgent need for deep, rapid, and sustained cuts in carbon emissions to halt further warming and prevent even more severe heatwaves in the future.
June 2023 was the hottest June on record, accompanied by record high ocean temperatures and record low levels of Antarctic ice. The following month witnessed the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data from the World Meteorological Organization. The planet is entering uncharted territory regarding extreme heat, as Christopher Hewitt, WMO climate services director, highlighted.
The impacts of extreme heatwaves, though often brushed off as mere inconveniences for summer holidays, can be deadly. According to Chris Hilson, the director of the University of Reading’s Centre for Climate and Justice, these heatwaves have already resulted in many premature deaths, particularly among the elderly. Hilson stresses the importance of climate justice, urging authorities to not only reduce carbon emissions but implement adaptation measures such as cool zones, transport services to reach them, better urban planning, and renewable-powered air conditioning in care homes.
As a high-pressure anticyclone from North Africa engulfs Europe, temperatures are predicted to approach or even exceed the continent’s existing record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit), set in 2021. The peak of Italy’s heatwave is expected between Monday and Wednesday, according to Italian weather news service Meteo.it, with some parts of the country experiencing temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Nighttime temperatures will remain high, offering little relief.
Authorities in affected countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain have issued guidelines to cope with the extreme heat, including advising people to stay hydrated, consume lighter meals, and avoid direct sunlight during peak hours. Despite these precautions, the heatwave has already facilitated the outbreak of devastating wildfires. In Spain’s Canary Islands, the fires have destroyed thousands of hectares of land, houses, and forced numerous evacuations. Similar scenes are unfolding in Greece, where hundreds of firefighters are battling to control the raging blazes.
In conclusion, Europe braces for its second extreme heatwave, with soaring temperatures threatening public health, exacerbating the climate crisis, and increasing the risk of deadly wildfires. Urgent action is needed to combat climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and implement effective adaptation measures to prevent even more frequent and severe heatwaves in the future.