Local authorities have issued fresh warnings against the risk of wildfires and urged people to take shelter, as Southern Europe experiences the summer’s first severe heatwave and as experts link the rising frequency and intensity of soaring temperatures to climate change.
Acute heatwaves were recorded in Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal through the weekend and into Sunday, with locals and tourists alike battling the sweltering conditions.
Ambulances were also on standby near tourist hot spots.
Two-thirds of Portugal was on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and wildfires, with temperatures in Lisbon expected to top 42C (107F).
In Lisbon, 39-year-old pharmacist Sofia Monnteiro told the AFP news agency that despite advising people “not to go out” during the hottest hours of the day, “we have already had some cases of heat strokes and burns”.
Several areas in the southern half of Portugal, including Lisbon, are under a red warning until Monday night due to “persistently extremely high maximum temperature values”, said the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
Firefighters mobilised in several countries to tackle blazes. Fires broke out in France and Turkiye Sunday, with other countries on heightened alert.
Much of Portugal was also on high alert Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires – as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday.
In Italy, a few regions — Lazio, Tuscany, Calabria, Puglia and Umbria — were planning to ban some outdoor work activities during the hottest hours of the day in response to the record-high temperatures. Italian trade unions pushed the government to expand such measures at a national level.
On Sunday, the Italian Health Ministry placed 21 out of 27 monitored cities under its highest heat alert, including top holiday destinations like Rome, Milan and Naples.
Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported an increase in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, v