‘Hellishly hot’ southern Europe bakes under heat wave, worst still to come as temperatures top 104F
BY NICOLE WINFIELD AND SILVIA STELLACCI
Updated 9:24 AM EDT, July 16, 2024

ROME (AP) — The Italian health ministry placed 12 cities under the most severe heat warning Tuesday as a wave of hot air from Africa baked southern Europe and sent temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (104F), with the worst still to come.

Municipal authorities in several southern European and Balkan cities took measures to look after elderly people in particular as civil protection crews fielded calls for Canadairs and other aircraft to douse wildfires that raged in southern Italy and North Macedonia.

“It’s hellishly hot,” said Carmen Diaz, a tourist from Madrid who was trying to keep cool with a fan at lunchtime in Rome. “These fans help a little too, but it’s really hot.”

In Greece, municipalities made air conditioned spaces available to the public. Certain forms of outdoor work were banned, such as manual labor, deliveries and construction, during the hottest time of the day when temperatures reached 40 C.

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