Red weather alerts expected for more Italian cities
The World Meteorological Organization says the heat wave in the northern hemisphere isset to intensify. An estimated 61,000 people may have died in heat waves last year in Europe alone.
The EU’s emergency response coordination centre issued red alerts for high temperatures for most of Italy, northeastern Spain, Croatia, Serbia, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
In Italy, the island of Sardinia hit 44C (112F) and Rome topped out at 40C (104F) on Tuesday, as the health ministry issued red weather alerts for 20 of the country‘s 27 main cities, with the number expected to rise to 23 on Wednesday.
Key events
Staff at Athens tourist sites protest heatwave working conditions
Staff at the Acropolis, Greece’s top tourist attraction, and other ancient sites in the country will stop work for four hours a day from Thursday in protest at working conditions during a heatwave, their union said.
Access to the Unesco-listed Acropolis had already been restricted for three days by the authorities from last Friday, but the measures were lifted Monday as the thermometer dropped ahead of a new heatwave predicted from Thursday.
“Given the problems we have faced … in recent days, measures have been unanimously decided to protect the health of the security staff … as well as visitors,” the PEYFA union said.
Temperatures have surpassed 45C (113 Fahrenheit), according to the union.
The Acropolis, which has seen a major rise in visitor numbers in recent months, is normally open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm every day, but the work stoppage will operate from four pm.
The authorities have in recent days taken measures to help visitors cope, with tens of thousands of bottles of water handed out and sunshades erected.
Greek wildfires burn into night
Two wildfires swept uncontrolled through forestland and towns north-west of Athens for a second day on Tuesday, Reuters reports, forcing more residents to flee their homes as authorities fought to stop the flames reaching an area with oil refineries.
One of the fire fronts stretched over 8km (five miles), according to witnesses and officials, burning homes and cars around the area of Mandra, west of the capital, which was blanketed by dense smoke.
“We are living a nightmare,” Mandra mayor Christos Stathis told Open TV. “Houses and properties are on fire.”
Late on Tuesday, the flames were headed toward the seaside town of Nea Peramos.
The blaze, which broke out on Monday in the region of Dervenochoria, about 30km north of Athens, spread fast as it was fanned by erratic winds and reached Mandra on Tuesday, forcing people to flee and burning houses.
As of 20.36 GMT, the flames were raging unchecked. Five coastguard vessels and private boats were on standby off Elefsina, ready to assist an emergency evacuation.
Red weather alerts expected for more Italian cities
The World Meteorological Organization says the heat wave in the northern hemisphere isset to intensify. An estimated 61,000 people may have died in heat waves last year in Europe alone.
The EU’s emergency response coordination centre issued red alerts for high temperatures for most of Italy, northeastern Spain, Croatia, Serbia, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
In Italy, the island of Sardinia hit 44C (112F) and Rome topped out at 40C (104F) on Tuesday, as the health ministry issued red weather alerts for 20 of the country‘s 27 main cities, with the number expected to rise to 23 on Wednesday.
Opening summary
This is the Guardian’s live coverage of the dangerous heatwaves and other extreme weather impacting people around the world, with me, Helen Sullivan.
Our top stories this morning: In Italy, the health ministry issued red weather alerts for 20 of the country’s 27 main cities on Tuesday, with the number expected to rise to 23 on Wednesday.
In Greece, two wildfires burned into the night through forestland and towns north-west of Athens on Tuesday, forcing more residents to flee their homes as authorities fought to stop the flames reaching an area with oil refineries.
We’ll have more on these and other developments in a moment.
