Sicily, Italy, has banned outdoor work during the daytime when the maximum temperature is predicted to rise to 39 degrees Celsius, the British daily Guardian reported on the 28th.
Liguria, in northwestern Italy, also announced a ban on outdoor labor. Italian trade unions urged the measure to be extended across the country.
In Andalusia, southern Spain, temperatures once soared to a maximum of 46 degrees Celsius on Friday, AFP reported on Sunday. The Spanish Meteorological Agency issued a heat wave warning and warned vulnerable groups such as the elderly and chronically ill, saying the heat wave could continue at night.
Marseille, France’s second-largest city, opened its public swimming pool to citizens for free as the maximum temperature approached 40 degrees.
The French Ministry of Education announced guidelines for the prevention of heat waves on Tuesday and advised local governments to temporarily close schools that are exposed to danger as necessary. The city of Tours has decided to hold classes only on the morning of the 30th and the 1st of next month before the education ministry’s notice is issued.
A large forest fire broke out near Athens, Greece, where temperatures rose to 40 degrees Celsius. Authorities ordered evacuations in nearby areas and closed some of the coastal roads leading to the famous tourist attraction Poseidon.
Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is also expected to have a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Portugal has issued a heat wave and wildfire warning for two-thirds of its country.
The heat wave is expected to continue until the middle of next week, but experts believe that the heat wave is not a one-time event.
According to the Copernican Institute for Climate Change (C3S), the European Union’s climate change monitoring agency, March was the hottest March in European history. They say extreme weather events such as heat waves, floods, and droughts are occurring more often due to global warming.
Last year was the hottest year on record for climate observation, with an estimated $300 billion worth of damage worldwide.
The death toll from Europe’s heat wave is expected to more than triple by the end of the 21st century, according to a study published last year in the international academic journal Lancet Public Health.
Currently, the number of heat-related deaths in Europe is 44,000 per year.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
