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Europe heatwave – latest: Temperatures set to hit record 48C – with Cerberus expected to spread to northern parts of continent
The Cerberus heatwave is gripping Europe, with reports of tourists collapsing across the continent and a man dying in northern Italy. Temperatures could exceed the record 48.8C noted in Sicily in August 2021, with peaks expected today.
Friday 14 July 2023 10:50, UK
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Volunteers try to put out the wildfire in Grebastica, Croatia, Thursday, July 13, 2023. Evacuation orders were issued in several areas as a wildfire swept through coastal areas of the country. (Mate Gojanovic, SibenikIN via AP)
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Wildfires have been swept through parts of Croatia during the heatwave
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Key points:
Temperatures set to hit record 48C – with heatwave expected to spread to northern Europe View post
Meteorologists say record temperature of 28.8C recorded in Arctic View post
Spanish islands to see temperatures nearly 15C higher than normal View post
Thomas Moore: The heatwave is about to get much worse View post
The story behind the heatwave’s name View post
No heatwaves currently predicted for the UK this summer View post
Your stories: No booze in the 40C Gran Canaria sun View post | Sweeping the balcony of Sahara dust – and a nasty burn View post
Are you currently in southern Europe? Send us a message on WhatsApp
Live reporting by Ollie Cooper
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15m ago
05:50
UK weather warning issued… for high winds
The UK may have escaped the devastating affects of the Cerberus heatwave, but the met office has still issued a warning for… high winds in the south.
“A blustery and showery day (with some thunder) will see winds gust widely to 40 mph, and locally up to 50 to 55 mph during the daytime,” it said.
The strongest gusts are likely to occur mainly over hills and along the south coast.
Met Office
Met Office
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25m ago
05:40
New Yorkers cover up as heatwave hits America
New Yorkers are among hundreds of thousands of Americans also being hit by a heatwave at present.
While the heatwave is not the same meteorological phenomenon as the one hitting Europe (Cerberus), temperatures have soared across the states in recent days.
Highs of 32C were felt in New York yesterday, with similar temperatures in Orlando, while Houston has sweltered in 37C.
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35m ago
05:30
Tourist stretchered away from Acropolis as Cerberus devastates Greece
Greek police have shared this video of a tourist being stretchered away from the Acropolis in Athens as temperatures continue to rise in the region.
Police are seen helping paramedics carry the woman down the steep banks of the tourist hotspot.
Temperatures will reach around 38C in the Greek capital later today, and will continue around that mark throughout next week.
Sky News’ Hannah Thomas-Peter said yesterday that authorities had taken extra precautions to protect people who chose to visit the attraction, with aid tents, water and shade on offer.
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46m ago
05:19
Heatwave to continue well into next week
Southern Europe should expect to continue to swelter well into next week as heatwaves continue to blast the continent.
The heatwaves, dubbed Cerberus and Charon (see our 9.43am post for further) will continue to expose Spain, Italy, Greece and Croatia to constant high temperatures, with Spain’s AEMEA met office predicting highs of 42C in the Balkans and the Iberian Peninsula.
This is the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ prediction for next week, which shows the heatwave looming over southern Europe and north Africa…
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
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1h ago
05:05
Croatians cover themselves in mud to protect themselves from the heat
Over in Croatia, tourists have been turning down sun cream in favour of covering themselves in mud to protect themselves from the glaring heat Cerberus has brought.
“It [mud] is definitely better than sun screen, I think protection factor is much better,” said Josef, a Slovakian tourist visiting the Croatian coastal town of Nin.
The town is experiencing temperatures between 30-37C over this week.
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1h ago
04:43
Cerberus, Charon or Kleon? Clearing up the heatwave name confusion
There has been some confusion over the classification of the heatwave, with names such as Cerberus, Kleon (sometimes spelt Cleon, to make things more complicated) and Charon floating around the internet.
While hurricanes and storms have often had names to classify them, the naming of heatwaves is a relatively new practice.
The practice was first employed by the city of Seville in Spain in 2022, with meteorologists hoping the naming of the phenomenon would raise awareness as they become more common due to the worsening climate crisis.
This one – Cerberus – is named after the Greek mythological beast of Hades, god of the underworld. This three-headed dog guarded the very gates of hell – and was captured by Heracles in his twelfth and final labour.
The beast is also depicted in Dante’s Inferno, where Cerberus guards the third gate of the artist’s version of hell.
It was called Cerberus by Italy’s met office, however, rather confusingly, Greece’s own meteorologists have dubbed the heatwave ‘Kelon’ (or ‘Cleon’).
Cerberus and Kleon are indeed the same heatwave, just called different things by different met offices – we have been (and will continue) to refer to this heatwave as Cerberus.
Finally, there is also some chatter around a second heatwave, named Charon, which is set to pass into southern Europe as Cerberus wanes.
The heatwave appears to overlap with Cerberus across Spain in particular, with the country only having a day or two of dropping temperatures before they soar back up again.
Charon provides us with another mythically-inspired name to unravel.
Otherwise known as the ferryman of the dead, Charon would wait on the banks of River Styx to bring souls from the land of the living to the underworld – for a fee.
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1h ago
04:25
How Europe has prepared for Cerberus
The Cerberus heatwave is sweeping and scorching its way across Europe, leaving wildfires and widespread disruption in its wake.
As the heat has intensified, the four worst-hit countries have issued warnings, guidance and rules to help keep their citizens safe.
How has Europe prepared for Cerberus?
Greece
Greece’s labour ministry announced on Wednesday the implementation of a series of measures and instructions to safeguard the public during the heatwave.
These included outside workers being told not to work and private sector employees to work from home.
Public services like transport or GP appointments were limited to “essential” use only between 12-5pm and businesses were encouraged to offer workers flexible working hours around the hottest parts of the day.
Sky News’ Hannah Thomas-Peter described how health officials were offering shade, water and medical advice to tourists at Athens’ Acropolis and other holiday hotspots.
Spain
As our last post outlined, Spain’s met office has reduced its risk warning from “extreme” to “significant”, but temperatures are still causing disruption on the ground, particularly in the south.
Authorities are keeping outside workers out of the beating sun until temperatures cool down in the evening where possible and Sky News has received reports of the closure of roads in some woodland areas as the risk of wildfires continues to intensify.
Croatia
The Split and Dubrovnik regions are under a high warning from Croatia’s weather service, with some coastal towns having to fend off wildfires yesterday.
Temperatures in Zagreb are expected to rise 8C higher than its regular July average over the coming days, with residents in the capital preparing for highs of over 36C.
Citizens are advised to look out for vulnerable people, including children and the elderly during peak temperatures.
Italy
As we brought you earlier, Italy announced yesterday that an “extreme” health warning is in place across 15 cities, including Rome, Bologna and Florence.
The warnings are in place for the next three days as the heatwave sweeps the continent.
The south of Italy, particularly the eastern coast, is expected to bear the brunt of Cerberus’ heat.
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2h ago
03:55
The situation in Spain
Spain’s meteorological office (AEMET) yesterday issued its highest warning regarding heat, as temperatures soared past 40C in some areas.
Today, it has reduced its warning from “extreme” to “significant”, with some regions at risk of wildfires as the heat continues to rise.
AEMET show this image on its website, showing which regions are likely to be worst affected (in orange) – including Campina Sur and Valle Medio del Guadalquivir in the Cordoba region, with both areas expected to hit 40C later today.
Towns near Spain’s northern border with France can also expect temperatures between 39-40C.
Other towns are noted as being at risk (pictured in yellow on the map) can expect temperatures between 34-39C.
AEMET
AEMET
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2h ago
03:38
Wildfires devastate Croatia
Croatian towns were evacuated yesterday after a number of wildfires as the Cerberus heatwave blasted the country.
These images show the devastation caused to Grebastica, one of a number of Croatian coastal towns that saw widespread evacuations as firefighters battled blazes brought on by the heatwave.
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2h ago
03:26
Italy issues emergency warnings in 15 cities as Cerberus blasts Europe
The Italian health ministry announced yesterday that an “extreme” health warning is in place across 15 cities, including Rome, Bologna and Florence.
The warnings are in place for the next three days as the heatwave sweeps the continent.
Southern Italy is expected to bear the brunt of Cerberus, with peak temperatures expected today.
Sardinia and Sicily are expected to get close if not exceed the current record for the hottest day in Europe – which was set in 2021 in Syracuse.
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2h ago
03:19
Are you currently in southern Europe? Let us know
Has your holiday been affected by the heatwave? Or are you living abroad and struggling to cope with the heat?
You send us a message on WhatsApp if you would like to be featured in this blog or have any information.
By sending us your video footage/photographs/audio you agree we can broadcast, publish and edit the material and pass it onto others for similar use in any media worldwide, without any payment being due to you. Please do not submit your contribution unless you accept this.
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3h ago
03:05
People being asked to ‘stay indoors’
Sky’s climate change correspondent Hannah Thomas-Peter, reports from Greece, where some of the continent’s hottest weather is expected over the coming days.
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3h ago
02:46
Meteorologists say record temperature of 28.8C recorded in Arctic
With the heat in parts of Europe expected to reach unprecedented levels over the coming hours and days, a milestone has already been recorded a little further north.
Norwegian meteorologists say that in the Arctic, a record high temperature of 28.8C (83.8F) has been measured at Slettness Fyr on the northern tip of the Norway.
This tops a previous record from July 1964 when the thermometer reached 27.6C (81.7F).
It comes after the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organisation said this week that global temperatures recorded in early July were among the hottest on record.
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3h ago
02:27
Temperatures set to hit record 48C – with heatwave expected to spread to northern Europe
Temperatures in parts of Mediterranean Europe are forecast to reach as high as 48C (118F).
The high-pressure system affecting the region, which crossed the Mediterranean from north Africa, has been named Cerberus after the three-headed dog in ancient Greek mythology who guarded the gates to the underworld.
Officials in several countries were preparing emergency measures, cellphone alerts and adjustments to staffing levels.
The European Space Agency warned the heatwave would also be felt in parts of northern Europe.
“Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing a major heat wave, with temperatures expected to climb to 48 degrees Celsius on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia – potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe,” the agency said.
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3h ago
02:19
Good morning
Welcome to today’s live coverage of the heatwave sweeping mainland Europe, which is expected to record its highest temperature on record today.
We’ll bring you the latest updates on the developing situation throughout the day.
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14h ago
15:40
We’re pausing our live coverage
Thanks for reading our live blog covering the Cerberus heatwave – we’re pausing our coverage for now, but we’ll be back tomorrow around 8am.
We expect temperatures to reach their peaks across Europe tomorrow, with risk of wildfires and danger to the public extremely high.
Remember, you can send us a message on WhatsApp if you would like to be featured in this blog or have any information.
Good evening and stay safe!
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14h ago
15:40
How much we are warming the planet
As our last post outlined, the Cerberus heatwave is not a freak weather event – occurrences such as heatwaves, hurricanes, storms, flash flooding and more are all linked to global warming.
Below is a counter, detailing how much the planet has warmed since 1880.
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15h ago
14:36
Animals given cool treats at Spanish zoo
It’s not just humans suffering in the heat – animals at Madrid’s Zoo have also needed some help with cooling down.
Zookeepers fed pandas and bears with watermelon lollies, while seals were given frozen sardines and lions had frozen buckets of meat.
Some of the enclosures have been equipped with air conditioning and pools.
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16h ago
13:46
Your stories: Sweeping the balcony of Sahara dust – and a nasty burn
We’ve asked our readers to get in touch with how they’re coping with the heatwave in southern Europe.
Vic Copcutt says they have been in Mallorca for a month, and the last two weeks have been “extremely hot and humid”.
“The sky is hazy and we have to keep sweeping our balcony because of the red dust from the Sahara,” they said.
Meanwhile Nik Cunningham, who lives in Madrid, said she had been experiencing temperatures of 48C out of the shade.
“It has been unbearable and this is the result of going for a walk on Saturday afternoon between 2 and 5:30,” she said, sharing a photo of a rather nasty burn.
David Corbett says he’s in Sao Bras de Alportel in Portugal’s Algarve region.
The temperature there is a shocking 41C in the shade, he says.
David Wilson, from York, says he is currently in Corfu, Greece, with his wife and daughter.
“It is hotter than it was last year at the same time that we where in Halkidiki. It’s currently 38C and is due to get warmer towards the weekend,” he says.
He describes the current situation as not a “state of emergency”, but says his family is currently sat under an umbrella or in the pool “constantly”.
Still, he says they are enjoying the heat.
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16h ago
13:30
UK to be worst-hit by increase in ‘uncomfortably hot days’ globally
The UK and Switzerland will be the worst affected globally by a relative increase in “uncomfortably hot days” on the way, a vast new study has warned.
Homes in the UK and much of northern Europe will suffer more from the relative increase because they are generally designed to keep heat in, leaving these places “dangerously underprepared” for overheating.
“Even a small increase in the temperatures are actually showing a high relative change [in the number of uncomfortably hot times],” which can “make these countries more vulnerable to needing more cooling,” said lead study author Dr Nicole Miranda from Oxford University.
The study defined “uncomfortably hot days” using a complex scientific measure of when people need help cooling down.
It roughly translates to a 24-hour period when the average (mean) temperature is at least 18C, though temperatures could have peaked at around 25C, 30C or even higher.
The team worked on the presumption that the world will warm by 2C, as a globally agreed, crucial target of limiting warming to 1.5C looks “increasingly out of reach” – and could even be hit by 2027.
The planet could hit that upper threshold of 2C around the middle of this century, and is on course for around 2.7C by 2100 under current policies, according to Climate Action Tracker.
You can read the full piece from our climate reporter Victoria Seabrook below…
