Heatwave forces Athens to close Acropolis, U.S. Southwest broils
investing.comBy Deborah Kyvrikosaios and Liliana Salgado
ATHENS/PHOENIX (Reuters) -Greece closed the ancient Acropolis during the hottest part of the day on Friday to protect tourists as southern Europe suffered in a fierce heatwave, while more than 100 million Americans also faced a prolonged spell of sweltering weather.
The European Space Agency (ESA), whose satellites monitor land and sea temperatures, has warned that Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing extreme conditions.
Temperatures next week could break Europe's current record — 48.8 Celsius recorded in Sicily in August 2021.
Italian meteorologists have dubbed the next phase of the European heatwave «Charon» — a reference to the ferryman of the souls of the dead in Greek mythology. That succeeds this week's «Cerberus» named after the three-headed dog of the underworld.
The world recorded its hottest day ever last week, with scientists blaming the combination of long-term global warming caused by greenhouse gases, with the short-term boost from El Niño, a regular warm-weather pattern originating in the Pacific.
DEATH, BURNS AND DEHYDRATION
In many places in the Southwest of the United States, where hot summers are the norm, extreme temperatures that could break records are forecast in the coming days.
The city of Phoenix in Arizona has already had 15 days in a row with temperatures exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius), with mobile clinics treating homeless people suffering from third degree burns and severe dehydration.
The impact of extreme summer heat has been brought into focus by a study this week that said as many as 61,000 people may have died in the sweltering heat across Europe last summer.
Joan Ballester, a professor at the Barcelona
Read more on investing.com
