Heat warnings issued as southern Europe hits 40 C

Italy, Greece, and Spain are among countries experiencing scorching conditions as a surge of hot air from Africa sweeps across southern Europe, pushing temperatures above 40 Celsius, with predictions of even worse conditions to come.

Local governments in urban areas in various southern European and Balkan countries implemented measures to protect vulnerable populations, especially the elderly, while emergency response teams received requests for water-bombing aircraft to combat wildfires raging in southern Italy and North Macedonia, reported the Associated Press news agency.

In Greece, local authorities provided air-conditioned facilities for public use, while specific outdoor activities, including manual labor, deliveries, and construction, were prohibited during peak heat hours when temperatures reached 40 C.

Several countries were anticipated to experience temperatures of 42 C on Wednesday and Thursday. Spain's official meteorological service predicted that thermometers could register 44 C in the southern Guadalquivir river valley in the coming days.

In Italy, the civil protection agency reported receiving 18 requests for assistance on Monday to combat wildfires raging in various southern regions.

Italy's health ministry issued a red alert heat warning, the highest level of heat emergency, for 12 cities spanning from Trieste in the north to Rome in the center, and announced that Palermo, Sicily would be added to the list of red-bulletin cities on Wednesday.

In areas under such alerts, all residents — not just vulnerable groups like the elderly or young children — are advised to remain indoors during peak heat hours and avoid intense outdoor activities and heavy meals.

To help combat the heat, Rome's zoo planned to offer frozen treats to animals later in the week, when temperatures were expected to exceed 38 C.

The heat challenged those attending Coldplay concerts in Rome this week, including Patrizia Valerio from Varese, who told AP: "It really feels like we are in an oven with a hair dryer pointed at us."

Another concertgoer, Mattia Rossi, linked the unusual storms that had hit Italy earlier in the summer to the effects of climate change on weather patterns in the southern Mediterranean region.

"These are all symptoms of a planet that is suffering in my opinion," Rossi said.

In Albania, where the mercury was forecast to reach 42 C, authorities discovered the body of a 72-year-old man at his farm in Memaliaj, 200 kilometers south of the capital Tirana. According to the local news outlet Panorama, heat was suspected to be the cause of death.

In Tirana, the streets and cafes were near deserted, with the few individuals venturing outdoors using umbrellas for shade. The combination of elevated temperatures and winds had been fueling wildfires across the country, from south to north, in recent weeks.