Red alerts were issued for 16 cities across Italy as extreme heat continued to affect southern Europe. The alerts, which indicate risks even for healthy people, apply to tourist hotspots including Rome, Florence, and Bologna for the coming days.
The heatwave has already lasted longer than usual and night-time temperatures have remained high. More high temperatures are expected in Europe this week as another heatwave approaches.
Periods of intense heat occur within natural weather patterns, but globally they are becoming more frequent, more intense and are lasting longer due to global warming. The Italian government advised anyone in the areas covered by the red alerts to avoid direct sunlight between 11:00 and 18:00, and to take particular care of the elderly or vulnerable.
Meanwhile, Greece hit temperatures of 40C (104F) or more in recent days. The Acropolis in Athens - the country's most popular tourist attraction - was closed during the hottest hours of Friday and Saturday to protect visitors.
The Red Cross was offering water and first aid at the site, which sits on a rocky hilltop and offers little shade to visitors. There are also fears of a greater risk of wildfires, especially in areas with high winds.
Greece suffered major wildfires in 2021 in another exceptional heatwave. High temperatures have also been reaching into central parts of Europe, with Germany and Poland among countries affected. Czech Republic's meteorological office issued a warning that temperatures over the weekend could go above 38C, which is exceptionally high for the country.
Highs of up to 47C are expected across some parts of southern Spain, south-eastern Italy and possibly Greece later in the week. It is likely that some city records will be broken.
In the UK, however, heavy showers and gusty winds were in place in parts of England yesterday. Meteorologists said this was because the southern shift of the jet stream, which was fuelling the hot weather in Europe, was also drawing low-pressure systems into the UK - bringing unsettled and cooler weather.
The current heatwave in Europe has been named Cerberus by the Italian Meteorological Society, after the three-headed monster that features in Dante's Inferno. Italian weather forecasters are warning that the next heatwave - dubbed Charon after the ferryman who delivered souls into the underworld in Greek mythology - could push temperatures back up above 40C next week.
Heatwaves are also being seen in parts of the US, China, North Africa and Japan. Last month was the hottest June on record, according to the EU's climate monitoring service Copernicus.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe was 48.8C in Sicily in August 2021. Extreme weather resulting from warming climate is "unfortunately becoming the new normal", the WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) has warned.
