In countries such as Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, and the United Kingdom, warnings are being issued for high temperatures.
According to the news agency EFE, Portugal is expected to reach up to 44 degrees on Sunday in the district of Beja, near the border with Extremadura and Andalusia in Spain. The entire southern part of the country, except for Faro, has a red warning due to the heatwave, according to Portugal's meteorological institute IPMA. Red is the authority's highest level and means extreme weather conditions. They have also issued a very high to maximum fire risk in the regions of Norte, Centro, and Algarve.
Extensive warnings
In Spain, the country's national weather service Aemet has issued warnings that cover almost the entire country, with the highest temperatures, above 40 degrees, in the south and southwest.
Several Italian regions are considering banning certain work activities during the hottest hours of the day. Lazio, Tuscany, Calabria, Apulia, and Umbria are among the regions planning to introduce measures in response to the rising temperatures. The Italian Ministry of Health has issued its highest heat warning for 17 of 27 monitored cities, including Rome, Milan, and Naples, according to Euronews.
In France, an orange warning has been issued for several areas on Sunday with calculated temperatures above 35 degrees. The heat is expected to worsen until the middle of next week, according to Le Monde.
More common in the USA
Hilda Westberg, meteorologist at SMHI, explains that the heatwave forms when warm, humid air from the sea is collected and trapped, and through a downward movement, clouds and cooler air are pushed away.
It becomes hot and the ground dries. When it dries, it becomes even hotter, and the ground dries even more. This is more common in the USA than in Europe, she says.
The extreme heat will not affect Sweden, but a small part of it may reach southern Sweden at the beginning of the week, when temperatures are expected to be slightly above normal.
The public in the affected areas in Europe is being urged to avoid strenuous activities during the hours when the heat is worst and to drink plenty of water, especially vulnerable groups such as the elderly and young children.
