Europe, US Facing Dangerous Heatwaves

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

WASHINGTON/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Dangerous heatwaves were due to intensify in the United States and Europe, with one in three Americans, about 113 million people, under heat advisories: from Florida to California and up to Washington state.

“Near record temperatures are expected this weekend!” the National Weather Service in Phoenix warned on social media, adding that people should follow its safety tips such as drinking plenty of water and checking on relatives and neighbors.

Phoenix, Arizona, was likely to hit 110 Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) on Saturday for the 16th day running – nearing a record.

“Don’t be a statistic!” the weather service in Tucson, Arizona, advised noting extreme heat can be deadly. “It CAN happen to YOU!”

About 700 people are estimated to die each year from heat-related causes in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Elsewhere, Death Valley in California – one of the hottest places on Earth – was forecast to reach 128 Fahrenheit (53 Celsius).

Also in the state, 1,000 homes were evacuated in California due to wildfires made worse by the heat, authorities said. The fires are all within 64 kilometers (40 miles) of each other in Riverside County, where temperatures in some areas spiked into the triple digits.

HUNDREDS BATTLE BLAZE

Hundreds of firefighters have been dispatched, along with helicopters and planes.

In neighboring Canada, officials said wildfires stoked by above-average temperatures – which have covered parts of the U.S. in smoke – have burned nearly 10 million hectares (25 million acres).

Across the Atlantic, Southern Europe will continue to swelter next week as an intense heatwave shows no sign of abating, causing wildfires, authorities warned.

The numbers evacuated from wildfires on La Palma increased from 500 to 2,000, authorities have said. The blaze has now affected an area of about 4,500 hectares on the Spanish island, with officials warning the situation could be made worse by increasingly dry earth.

Canary Islands regional president Fernando Clavijo described the fire as “out of control.”
He said that some residents didn’t want to abandon their homes and appealed for people “to be responsible” and heed the calls for evacuation.

The president is also concerned about shifting winds at night, saying they could make the evacuation operation more dangerous. It comes nearly two years after a three-month volcanic eruption caused devastation on La Palma

Spain, Italy, and Greece have all been experiencing high temperatures for several days. The Italian health ministry issued a red alert for 16 cities, including Rome, Bologna, and Florence, for the weekend.

MORE SUFFERING PREDICTED

The heatwave was due to continue well into next week, with 48 Celsius (118.4 Fahrenheit) predicted in Sardinia.

A European record high of 48.8 Celsius (119.8 Fahrenheit) was recorded in Sicily in August 2021. The Italian weather service said the island would be at the “epicenter” of next week’s heatwave. Forecasters have dubbed the heatwave “Charon” after the ferryman who delivered souls into the underworld in Greek mythology.

“Temperatures will reach a peak between 19 and 23 July – not only in Italy but also in Greece, Turkey and the Balkans. Several local heat records within these areas may well be broken during those days,” Italian meteorologist and climate expert Giulio Betti said.

Italy’s government advised anyone in areas covered by red alerts to avoid direct sunlight between 11:00 and 18:00 and to take particular care of the elderly or vulnerable.

The respected journal Nature Medicine estimates that at least 61,672 people in Europe perished from heat-related causes between May 30 and September 4 last year. The researchers found that extreme heat disproportionately affected women and older people during the heat wave.

With current heatwaves breaking records, more deaths and destructions were feared in Europe and the United States.

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