We are in direct danger. People die; This is extreme, stay home PHOTO

We are in direct danger. People die; This is extreme, stay home PHOTO

The heat wave threatens human health and makes the terrain suitable for fires.

Last week's heat wave named Kerber is followed by a new one that Italian forecasters named Charon, after the ferryman of Hades from Greek mythology who transports souls to the underworld.

Italy, Spain and Greece have been dealing with relentless heat for days, but the European Space Agency has warned that the heatwave is just beginning. In Italy, which has been particularly hard hit, temperatures are expected to rise above 40 degrees Celsius in many cities.

Hannah Cloke, a climate scientist and professor at the University of Reading, compared the effect of the heat wave to that of a giant furnace over the Mediterranean.

"The bubble of hot air that exploded over southern Europe turned Italy and the surrounding countries into a giant pizza oven," she said.

The prolonged intensity of this heatwave and brutally hot tropical nights (20°C+) for millions across Southern Europe will build accumulating heat stress over the coming days that will not allow many to recover from the hot daytime temperatures, threatening public health and increasing the risk of heat illnesses.

Additionally, a marine heatwave ongoing in the Mediterranean Sea will intensify the heat on land by increasing moisture levels in the air, making the extreme heat feel even more "humid."

A new record?

Another heat wave, which hit southern Europe this week, is expected to last in Italy on Wednesday, reports ANSA.

During the day and in the shade in central-northern Italy, the temperature can reach 38-39 degrees Celsius, while in Lazio, especially in Rome, it will reach 42-43 degrees, according to the meteorological service. But the most intense heat will hit the Big Islands and Puglia: 45-46 degrees in Sicily and 44-45 degrees in Puglia.

Italian island of Sardinia is set to bear the brunt of the unrelenting heat, with forecasters predicting temperatures could reach 48 degrees Celsius today, even breaking the record of 48.8 degrees set in the Sicilian town of Floridia in August 2021. The president of the Italian Meteorological Society, Luca Mercalli, said: "Even if that record is not broken, we are seeing a heat wave whose length is unprecedented."

Residents will also have to deal with so-called 'tropical nights', as temperatures will not drop below 20 degrees. The number of cities with a red warning by the Ministry of Health, due to extreme weather conditions that represent a high level of risk for the entire population, and which was 17 yesterday, has increased to 20 today and will reach 23 during tomorrow.

Red weather alerts in the region

A red weather alert has been declared in the territory of Montenegro, because since yesterday, the territory of that country is under the strong influence of a warm tropical wave, which in some parts brings high tropical air temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius.

As announced by the Institute of Hydrometeorology, air temperatures will be significantly above the average for this time of year, in some places daily temperature records are expected to be broken. In the hottest parts of the wider area of Podgorica and Danilovgrad, the air temperature is expected to reach and exceed 40 degrees.

Airport closed

Due to the fire, the airport in the city of Catania on the Italian island of Sicily was closed yesterday, and flights were suspended until Wednesday.

Firefighters are controlling the fire and it is not yet clear whether the high temperatures in the region played a role. Catania was one of several cities under a red heat warning on Sunday.