Europe is currently suffering record high temperatures and several heat-related deaths have occurred on the continent. Some countries have issued health warnings concerning the heat, and others are expecting or have already experienced wildfires.
To avoid serious health risks that may occur due to the extreme heat, tourists have been warned to be cautious when travelling in Greece, Italy, Spain and several other popular EU destinations, Schengen.News reports.
Some of the most popular destinations have registered temperatures as high as 40°C.
In mainland Greece and the islands, several tourists have been reported missing, some of whom had succumbed to the heat as temperatures in some parts of the country reached 43°C. The islands of Crete, Rhodes and Samos have experienced extremely hot conditions.
Italian authorities have issued red heat warnings (the highest on the European three-tier scale) across Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sicily.
In Spain, orange-tier thunderstorms and warnings of heavy rainfall have been issued for parts of southeastern Aragon and communities in central and northern Valencia.
Across Europe, tourists are advised to dispose of litter correctly, especially glass (a glass bottle or piece of glass left outdoors can become a lens and concentrate the sun’s rays, starting a fire), and to ensure they extinguish cigarettes properly to avoid accidentally starting wildfires.
Travellers are advised in these extreme weather conditions to follow the advice issued by the local authorities and take every precaution to stay safe.
Scientists say the heat is driven by climate change and El Nino in the Pacific, and the European heatwave is set to continue.