Extreme heat continues to suffocate large parts of Europe, with Italy, Spain and Greece being particularly affected by the Cerberus heatwave.
Parts of France, Croatia and Turkey are also seeing temperatures ramping up well above the average, weather maps show.
Italians are bracing for potentially record-breaking temperatures in the south, with areas expected to reach the mid-40Cs over the coming day.
On August 11, 2021, parts of the island of Sicily baked under 48.8C, marking the record for the highest temperature in European history.
The government of the Mediterranean nation has issued weather warnings for 10 major cities to last between July 13 and 14.
Among those affected by Cerberus, named by the Italian Meteorological Society after the mythical three-headed monster, are Bologna, Firenze, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Rieti, Roma, Viterbo, Campobasso, and Pescara.
These red alerts signal temperatures are expected to become so extreme they may pose a danger to life not just to people in vulnerable categories but to the whole population.
Cities in the north will experience some respite from the heat, with storms and rain sweeping across Lombardy and Friuli Venezia Giulia among others.
However, locals have been warned the rain will be followed by a new wave of heat, already dubbed Charon, which could push temperatures up to 43C.
The heatwave that took hold of Italy a few days ago made its first victim on Tuesday, when a man collapsed while spraying new road markings in the city of Lodi.
Italian politician Nicola Fratoianni tweeted: “We are facing an unbearable heatwave. Maybe it’s the case that in the hottest hours all the useful precautions are taken to avoid tragedies like the one that happened today in Lodi.”
Spain is also coming to terms with the death of a 47-year-old man who collapsed and died on Sunday (July 9) after suffering from heatstroke and had a heart attack during sweltering temperatures while working at a popular leisure complex in Majorca.
Much like in Italy, Spain is also seeing some weather warnings due to the heat.
The country’s AEMET meteorological agency placed the southern regions of Andalusia and Murcia on red alert on Wednesday due to expected temperatures of 40C, urging people to avoid venturing outdoors in the middle of the day unless it was essential to do so.
In Greece, a holiday destination beloved by many Britons, temperatures are expected to reach 43C in parts of the country this week.
Cities in central Europe are also expected to bake over the next few days, including Prague, the Czech capital, where temperatures may shoot up to 36C on Saturday – 12C above this month’s average.
