Extreme weather warnings issued across Europe

A heatwave continues to grip parts of Europe, with temperatures reaching 35 to 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Spain, Italy and Greece. In other countries, such as France and the UK, warnings have been issued for strong winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Earth saw its hottest week on record in early July, thanks to a combination of man-made global warming and El Niño, a naturally occurring weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean.

European governments and meteorological agencies have warned their citizens about the impact of severe weather.

In Italy, 15 cities, including tourist destinations such as Rome and Florence, have been placed on “red alert” by the country’s health ministry, with advice to avoid exposure to the sun and high temperatures between 11am and 6pm. The ministry said the impact was not only on risk groups but also on healthy people.

In Greece, the Acropolis site was closed for a second consecutive day from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to public broadcaster ERT, as were parks in the Athens area to reduce the risk of wildfires. The country's meteorological agency said temperatures were expected to drop slightly from July 16 onwards.

In Spain, the country's meteorological agency said there was a "high risk" for the Balearic Islands, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius. In an advisory, the agency noted that a new high temperature period - a "short but intense period" - could occur from July 17 to 19 with temperatures "possibly above 42 degrees Celsius".

Thunderstorm and heavy rain warnings have been issued in both France and the UK. The UK Met Office said it was expecting an “unseasonably windy day”, while the French equivalent issued warnings of thunderstorms, heavy rain and even flooding for 10 regions in the Massif Central and the north-east of the country.

According to Tin Tuc Newspaper