Parts of China, US also break temperature records
An image Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites captured July 19, 2023, revealing the burn scar and smoke plume produced by the ongoing Dervenochoria wildfire in western Attica, Greece. Several parts of Greece are witnessing wildfires, even as parts of Europe are experiencing scorching temperatures. A record-breaking heatwave is currently affecting Italy, Spain and Greece, with temperatures soaring to unprecedented levels.
Multiple wildfires are ravaging Greece, resulting in substantial damage and necessitating the evacuation of residents, the European meteorological agency Copernicus said July 20, 2023.
The fires have devastated areas near Athens and in Eastern Peloponnese, forcing residents to evacuate. Temperatures in Greece could climb to 44 degrees Celsius on July 20, newspaper Mint reported.
Temperatures are expected to fall on July 20 for many parts of Europe, including northern Italy, said public service broadcaster British Broadcasting Corporation. However, temperatures may rise to the mid- to high-40s this weekend and into next week in the central and eastern Mediterranean.
The western Mediterranean basin is set to be affected by high concentrations of Saharan dust, further exacerbating the extreme conditions, according to Copernicus.
Licata and Riesi in the Sicily region, Italy saw temperatures reach 46.3°C and 45.8°C, respectively, on July 18, 2023. 2022 and 2021 were Europe’s hottest summers on record, according to Copernicus. The continent’s highest recorded temperature of 48.8°C was registered in Sicily two years ago.
The Spanish state meteorological service warned of temperatures of between 42°C and 44°C and issued top-level red alerts for some interior parts of the country and the Balearic Islands earlier this week.
Italy’s national meteorological service also issued red alerts for extreme heat in southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia, with temperatures well above 40°C. Parts of the Balkans are also under red alert. The warnings mean the heat poses a threat to everybody, not just vulnerable groups.
BBC Weather reported parts of the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily will be the hottest again, with highs of around 46°C or 47°C. The heatwave, which has swept across the country, has been described by local media as settimana infernale — or “week of hell”.
Temperatures climbed to 53°C in California’s Death Valley in the United States and went over 52°C in China’s northwest.
In China, which this week was hosting US climate envoy John Kerry for talks, tourists defied the heat to visit a giant thermometer showing surface temperatures of 80°C, reported newspaper The Times of India (TOI). Beijing set a new record as temperatures remained above 35°C for the 28th day in a row.
With its 19th straight day of temperatures of 43°C or higher, Phoenix, in the US, shattered a comparable record that had stood for 49 years.
The TOI report further said that the Alpine ski resort of Alpe d’Huez in southern France reached a record high of 29.5°C, while in Verdun, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, a new record high of 40.6°C was set.
Spain warned of the risk of wildfires in most of the country, though residents were allowed to return to their homes in La Palma Island, where a blaze that raged for five days.
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