Heat waves in holiday countries are cause for concern

Greeks flock to the beaches hoping the sea will cool them. Now the first snapshot of this year’s first heat wave is being released in Greece. And it wouldn’t be so generous, meteorologists must believe. They predict over 40 degrees in many places, and the heat will last at least a week.

Greece opens but it boils

This is unusually early for Greece. The country’s meteorological institute is sounding the alarm, and Tuesday came with a set of tips On how people deal with heat.

Happening at the same time as Greece It makes your entry as a tourist easier. All that is required is a negative rapid test. Kids under 12 don’t even need it.

June saw unusually hot weather in many places. The AP news agency reported that countries such as Germany and France boiled over last week, and dozens drowned in an attempt to cool off.

Changing weather with lightning, thunder and torrential rain in the past two days has brought temperatures down in many countries in southwestern Europe for a long time. But the heat has now moved east.

There is now a clear distinction between the eastern and western parts of Europe. The weather is the warmest in Greece and Turkey, among other countries, says Kristina Kvistad Hostad at StormGeo.

WeatherObs . Map It clearly shows the difference between East and West.

– Kvistad Höstad says that it is currently much warmer in Finland than in Spain. The Baltic states and Russia have also reported very high temperatures.

heat stroke in croatia

Kvistad Hostad adds that the heat time is quite unusual.

These heat waves often come in August when many Norwegians are already on vacation.

Another popular holiday destination now suffering from the heat is Croatia. In the capital, Zagreb, the temperature is around 35 degrees. It is said to be much warmer in the coming days.

After a cold and somewhat humid spring in Croatia, the heat has come on suddenly for many. It can be observed in the emergency room in Zagreb. The renter at the front desk, Mladen Hrom, says 18 percent of admissions are now due to the heat.

– That’s 18 percent more than usual. That’s a lot. Hrum explains that people collapse in the heat.

At the city’s vegetable market, sellers despair:

– Very hot weather. Our fruit can’t stand this long-term heat, says Jasmina Matikovich.

On the other hand, other residents believe that the heat is not so bad.

The heat doesn’t bother me much. I try to calm down with something to drink, preferably beer, says Josep Marinsel, who also lives in Zagreb.

– But I’m young. He adds that the heat may bother others more.

Fears of new deadly heat waves

The Red Cross is very concerned about heat waves in Europe. In a press release, the Red Cross wrote that unusually high temperatures and tropical nights were recorded in many places, and the common European weather forecast reported a heat wave in June.

The combined risk of heat and Covid-19 will be especially dangerous for the most vulnerable: the homeless, migrants, the elderly, pregnant women and the chronically ill, says Davron Makhmadiyev, the health and care coordinator of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent.

In 2020, 6,340 people died from the heat in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, according to the Red Cross.

– Heat waves in Europe were the world’s deadliest natural disasters in 2019 and 2020. For those who live near cities or suffer from poor health, drought and heatstroke on hot days can be hit hard, says climate analyst at Cross Red, Catherine Tranberg Harsker.

He adds that the Red Cross in many countries is now intensifying its efforts to help particularly vulnerable groups.

EU increases preparedness

The European Union is also keeping tabs on the heat. The European Commission warns that temperatures in the Mediterranean are expected to be above average throughout the season from June to September.

Less rain is also expected, especially in the central parts of Europe and the Mediterranean. This also increases the risk of forest fires, the European Union Commission says in a statement. This is why the European Union will now increase its preparedness for wildfires.

Extreme heat waves are also affecting other parts of the world. Many places in the United States have had record high temperatures in recent days. Several countries in the Middle East also saw new temperature records in June.