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☆ Wildfires kill 15 in Algeria as heatwave hits north Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ALGIERS, July 24 (Reuters) - Wildfires killed 15 people in the mountainous Bejaia and Bouira regions of Algeria on Monday, the interior ministry said, as a heatwave spreads across north Africa and southern Europe. Some 7,500 firefighters wee battling to bring the flames under control, authorities said. Firefighters were alsoat work in the Boumerdes, Tizi Ouzou, Jijel and Skikda regions. A major heatwave has hit North African countries, with temperatures reaching 49 Celsius (120 F) in some Tunisian cities. Reporting by Lamine Chiki and Nayera Abdalla; Writing by Tarek Amara Editing by Bernadette Baum and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tizi, Lamine Chiki, Tarek Amara, Bernadette Baum, Nick Macfie Organizations: Firefighters, Thomson Locations: ALGIERS, Algeria, Africa, Europe

☆ Extreme heat in Europe is becoming the new normal — prompting tourists toward cooler destinations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tourists are evacuated as huge wildfire rages across Greece's Rhodes island on July 22, 2023. Sweltering conditions across southern Europe could accelerate a burgeoning trend among holidaymakers, as more tourists prioritize milder temperatures or off-season travel to avoid spending their time away in oppressive heat. Europe is currently experiencing some of the hottest temperatures of the summer so far, with yet another heatwave expected to push the mercury close to record-breaking levels in the coming days. The southern European country was followed closely by France (7%), Italy (7%), Greece (5%) and Croatia (5%). The popularity of Mediterranean vacation destinations, however, dropped by 10% compared to last year, when Europe experienced its hottest summer on record.

Organizations: European Travel Commission, ETC Locations: Greece's Rhodes, Europe, Greece, Spain, Sardinia, Sicily, Italy, Brussels, France, Croatia

[1/3] A man called David checks his phone as he stands near a fan to cool off, during a heatwave across Italy, in Rome, July 14, 2023. A heat wave has hit southern Europe during the peak summer tourist season, breaking records - including in Rome - and bringing warnings about an increased risk of deaths. Spain is expected to endure higher-than-average temperatures this summer, with two heatwaves already baking the country in June and July. Amazon Business, where companies can order supplies, saw more than a 20% increase in portable air-conditioning unit sales across Spain, Italy, and France this month compared to July last year. Smaller devices, like hand-held fans and fans worn around the neck, were also selling in their thousands.

Persons: David, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Angela Lonardo, Leroy Merlin, Elisa Anzolin, Corina Rodriguez, Helen Reid, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, El, El Corte Inglés, Amazon Spain, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, MADRID, MILAN, Southern Europe, Europe, United States, El Corte, Madrid, Spain, Seville, Sensibo, France, Corte, Milan, London

ATHENS, July 23 (Reuters) - A wildfire raging on the Greek island of Rhodes forced thousands of tourists and island residents to shelter in schools and indoor stadiums on Sunday after they were evacuated from coastal villages and resorts. One government official told Reuters 19,000 people had been moved away from their homes and hotels, 3,000 of them by boat. Large groups gathered in the streets under a red sky waiting to be taken to safety. "We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now accommodated at different structures," Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes told Mega television on Sunday, calling for donations of essentials such as mattresses and bedclothes. "Customers currently in Rhodes will return on their intended flight home", it sad in a statement.

Persons: Amy Leyden, Leyden, Rhodes, Ioannis Artopoios, Jet2, TUI, Renee Maltezou, Elizabeth Piper, Frank Jack Daniel, Frances Kerry Organizations: Correndon, Reuters, Sky News, Volunteers, Mega, Firefighters, World Meteorological Organization, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Rhodes, TUI, Greece, Kiotari, Lindos, Southern Europe

☆ Pope urges world leaders to do more to tackle climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VATICAN CITY, July 23 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that recent heat waves across many parts of the world and flooding in countries such as South Korea showed that more urgent action was needed to tackle climate change. "Please, I renew my appeal to world leaders to do something more concrete to limit polluting emissions," the Pope said at the end of his Angelus message to crowds in St. Peter's Square. Francis has called on the world to rapidly ditch fossil fuels and made the protection of the environment a cornerstone of his pontificate. On Sunday, the pope expressed solidarity with those who were suffering from the climate crisis and those helping them. Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope, Angelus, Francis, Keith Weir, Hugh Lawson Organizations: CITY, Thomson Locations: South Korea, St, United States, China, Europe, Italy, Greece, Rhodes

☆ Tourists flee Greek island Rhodes wildfire, thousands evacuated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A wildfire which has raged on the Greek island of Rhodes for six days forced thousands of tourists and island residents to shelter in schools and indoor stadiums on Sunday after they were evacuated from coastal villages and resorts. Many fled their hotels when huge flames reached the seaside villages of Kiotari, Gennadi, Pefki, Lindos, Lardos and Kalathos. "We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now accommodated at different structures," Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes told Mega television on Sunday, calling for donations of essentials such as mattresses and bedclothes. Climate change means heatwaves will become more frequent, an advisor to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Saturday. The fire has scorched swathes of forest and several buildings since breaking out in a mountainous area on Tuesday.

Persons: Rhodes, Ioannis Artopoios Organizations: Coastguard, Mega, Reuters, World Meteorological Organization, Firefighters Locations: Rhodes, Kiotari, Lindos, Greece, Southern Europe

☆ Calabria hit by wildfires, heat in Italy to intensify
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, July 23 (Reuters) - Firefighters battled blazes in the southern Italian region of Calabria on Sunday and forecasters warned that temperatures were set to soar again in parts of the country over the next day or two. Additional teams of firefighters were called in from the regions of Campania and Lazio, as well as the Sicilian city of Messina. A heat wave has hit southern Europe during the peak summer tourist season, breaking records - including in Rome - and bringing warnings about an increased risk of deaths. Italy is one of the European countries most affected by climate change and suffered deadly floods in May. Parts of northern Italy have also seen intense hail storms as the hot weather broke down there in the last few days.

Persons: Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Keith Weir, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Firefighters, Sunday, Energy, La Repubblica, Thomson Locations: Italian, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Sicilian, Messina, Europe, Rome, Rhodes, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia

☆ Travel news: US airline staffing at ‘highest level’ in decades – so why the flight delays?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Extreme weatherHeat waves, wildfires, floods and storms have been hitting regions across North America, Europe and Asia. Air travel woesUS passenger airline employment is now at its highest level in over two decades, says a new statement from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as carriers build up their workforces to meet the huge demand for post-pandemic travel. However, passengers this summer are still facing “unacceptable delays and disruptions” because of a shortage of air traffic controllers in North America. If all this has got you wistful for a bygone “golden age of air travel,” however, you’d be very wrong.

Persons: you’d, we’ve, Jay Khan, Janet Yellen’s, jian, Yellen, Liesbet Collaert, she’d, Christina Ward, Wahid Kandil, you’re, they’ve Organizations: CNN, Southern, International Air Transport Association, US Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, NAV Canada, US Locations: North America, Europe, Asia, Italy, Southern Europe, Ireland, Denmark, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Las Vegas, Chicago, Hong Kong, Beijing, Yunnan, Belgian, California, Egypt, Barra, American, Paris

☆ Focus: Shifting trends in travel demand bedevil US airlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But travel patterns are shifting so often, partly due to work-life changes wrought by the pandemic, that airlines must constantly adapt on booking plane seats and remain cautious in forecasting demand and revenue. American Airlines (AAL.O) Chief Financial Officer Devon May attributed the challenge to the difficulty in forecasting demand. Worries about future demand were a reason American Airlines' stock fell 6% on Thursday even after it raised its full-year earnings forecast. It was a risky bet as booking data from the previous quarter had shown customers were booking trips well in advance. Delta said Southern Europe's summer travel season is now longer than it used to be, prompting the airline to adjust its network.

Persons: Devon, We're, United, United's, Andrew Nocella, Henry Harteveldt, Harteveldt, Rahul Sen Sharma, Sharma, Ed Bastian, Delta, Glen Hauenstein, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Ben Klayman, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Consumers, American Airlines, Reuters, United Airlines, Atmosphere Research, Airlines, Air Lines, Thomson Locations: Southern, Chicago

☆ Extreme heatwaves to continue through August, WMO adviser says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Remo Casilli/file photoGENEVA, July 21 (Reuters) - Heatwaves are expected to persist in a large part of the world throughout August, an adviser on extreme heat said on Friday, following on from record temperatures in recent weeks. "We should expect or at least plan for these extreme heatwaves to continue through August," Senior Extreme Heat Advisor for the WMO John Nairn told Reuters. Extreme weather has also disrupted the lives of millions of Americans, with dangerous heat stretching from Southern California to the Deep South. Nairn said climate change meant heatwaves would become more frequent and be spread across the seasons. "We're on trend in seeing a rise in global temperatures that will contribute to heatwaves increasing in intensity and frequency," Nairn said.

Persons: Trevi, Remo Casilli, WMO John Nairn, Nairn, We've, Cécile Mantovani, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, Reuters, European, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, GENEVA, North America, Asia, North Africa, Southern Europe, Southern California, East, Nairn

☆ Extreme heat in the Mediterranean could dent tourist bookings in future
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“This can be attributed to travelers seeking out less crowded destinations, and milder temperatures,” the association said. This summer’s extreme temperatures follow blistering heat last year. Meanwhile, online searches for northern European destinations increased by 3 percentage points to hit 10%. Southern Europe still popular with BritsDespite rocketing temperatures, countries in southern Europe are still the go-to spots for many vacationers. Spain, Greece and Turkey are still “by far the most popular [destinations],” he said, which hasn’t “changed at all.”— Barbie Latza Nadeau and Chris Liakos contributed reporting.

Persons: Angelos Tzortzinis, Olivier Ponti, ”, —, Johan Lundgren, Giuseppe Napolitano, Thomas Cook, Sean Tipton, hasn’t “, ” — Barbie Latza Nadeau, Chris Liakos Organizations: London CNN —, European Travel Commission, Tourism Council, Tourists, CNN, European Space Agency, ESA, British, Med Locations: London CNN — Spain, Italy, Europe, Brussels, Spain, France, Croatia, Greece, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ireland, Denmark, Athens, United Kingdom, Rome, Nicosia, Cyprus, Catania, Sicily, Southern Europe, Turkey

☆ Europe heat wave: Struggling outdoor workers threaten strikes and walkouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Caolán Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —As swaths of southern Europe continue to swelter under a deadly heat wave, for many outdoor workers, it’s turning into a brutal endurance test. “When it comes to protecting the health of outdoor workers during extreme heat events, there are really just three fundamental pieces — water, shade and rest,” Dahl told CNN last week. Yet some experts say many countries are far from prepared for dealing with extreme heat. Extreme heat also reveals a deep divide in the labor market, between those forced to be outside and those able to retreat to air-conditioned offices, the report added. Many workers in the global supply chain will be highly vulnerable to climate change impacts like heat, Parsons said.

Persons: Marina Calderone, Simona Granati, “, Stelios Misinas, ”, Laurie Parsons, Kristina Dahl, ” Dahl, Parsons Organizations: CNN, Acropolis, Reuters, Royal Holloway, University of London, “, Union of Concerned, European Trade Union Institute, European Union, Nature Medicine Locations: Europe, Rome, Naples, Italy, Greece, Athens, Saronida, Italian, Lodi, Royal

☆ For Europe’s Older Population, Heat Is the New Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Gaia Pianigiani | More About Gaia Pianigiani | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The successive heat waves that have scorched Italy and the rest of southern Europe over the past week have forced those who can afford it to seek shelter in air-conditioned homes and offices or at seaside retreats. But for many seniors, heat has become the new Covid. She visits Ms. Grillo once a week to help her with daily chores and assist with medical appointments and legal problems. As temperatures rise, the threat to Europe’s elderly is now widespread, with southern European nations being joined by others as far north as Belgium in putting heat plans in place, many aimed at safeguarding older populations. For Italy, the extreme heat has forged a pincer with the country’s most pressing demographic trend — an aging population — to present an especially acute crisis.

Persons: ” Ms, Antonelli, Grillo Locations: Italy, Europe, Belgium

☆ This Heat Wave Has Become Dangerous for the Elderly
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An onslaught of heat waves — across the Southern U.S., as well as much of Europe and the Middle East — have elevated average global temperatures to historic highs. Extended exposure to the sweltering heat can be a potential health risk for anyone, particularly those who do outdoor work. But medical experts say that older adults are uniquely vulnerable. In the heat wave that spread across Europe in the summer of 2022, people age 65 and older accounted for approximately 90 percent of heat-related deaths. Governments in southern Europe are now trying to take extraordinary steps.

Organizations: Southern Locations: Southern U.S, Europe, Germany

☆ Latest on the intense heat waves and scorching temperatures in Europe and the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Adrienne Vogt | Mike Hayes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Firefighters rush to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village of Vlyhada, Greece, on Wednesday. Stelios Misinas/ReutersSouthern Europe is experiencing very high temperatures while wildfires continue in many areas. The fire danger is expected to increase in Greece and Switzerland, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). A series of heavy thunderstorms hit a large part of the northern Italian region of Trentino Alto Adige on Tuesday afternoon. Two firefighting aircraft of the Italian firefighters' service have been deployed to the northwest of Athens, the force said on Twitter.

Persons: Stelios Misinas, SkyTG24, Gabrielius Landsbergis Organizations: Reuters, Milan, Twitter, Lithuanian Locations: Vlyhada, Greece, Reuters Southern Europe, Switzerland, Italy, Turin, Sardinia, Italian, Trentino Alto Adige, Bitsch, Valais, EU, Athens, Lithuania

☆ How Heat Waves and Record-Breaking Temperatures Can Affect Your Health
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Dominique Mosbergen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Wildfires destroyed buildings and burned swaths of land outside of Athens as intense heat sweeps across southern Europe. Photo: Petros Giannakouris/APPunishingly high temperatures have been stifling much of the Northern Hemisphere this summer, with record heat reported in swaths of North America and Europe, as well as parts of Africa and Asia. Last month was the hottest June ever recorded, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Early July saw the Earth’s hottest week on record.

Persons: Petros Giannakouris Organizations: World Meteorological Organization Locations: Athens, Europe, Northern, North America, Africa, Asia

☆ Column: Turkey emerges as Europe's largest coal power producer in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

July 19 (Reuters) - Turkey overtook Germany and Poland to become Europe's top coal-fired electricity producer in June, and for the opening half of 2023 generated more coal power than Poland for the first time to emerge as Europe's second-largest coal user behind Germany. Even Poland, Europe's most coal-dependent economy, has seen a modest net capacity decline since 2018. Indeed, Turkey's electricity generation from all clean sources has risen by 40% since 2018, while generation from fossil fuels declined by more than 8% over that period. Further increases in coal-fired generation may in turn push Turkey farther ahead of Poland in terms of coal generation over the near term, and potentially narrow the gap more on Europe's top coal user, Germany. That should undermine coal's usage momentum in Turkey's energy system, and potentially result in Turkey making only a fleeting entry as one of Europe's main coal users.

Persons: Turkey's, Gavin Maguire, Robert Birsel Organizations: Germany, COVID, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Germany, Poland, Europe, Turkey overtakes Poland, Southern Europe, Italy, Romania, Czech Republic, Ukraine

☆ Is this extreme weather the ‘new normal?’ There’s no such thing, some scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Just over halfway through July and already a slew of extreme weather records has been broken. Southern Europe is experiencing one of its most extreme heat waves on record, with wildfires raging in Greece, Spain and Switzerland. It’s a shifting baseline of ever-more devastating impacts as long as the Earth continues to warm.”For scientists like Mann and Cloke, this year’s extreme weather has largely not been surprising. Extreme heat could be quickly followed by heavy rainfall impacting society, agriculture, and ecosystems in unusual ways,” she told CNN. The planet is around 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than it was before the industrial revolution – still short of the 1.5 degrees scientists are warning the planet should stay under.

Persons: Petteri Taalas, ”, Hannah Cloke, Kim Hong, Reuters Michael E, Mann, we’ve, Cloke, Brandon Bell, Peter Stott, –, ” Mann, Vikki Thompson, ” Thompson, ” Read Organizations: CNN, Southwest, World Meteorological Organization, University of Reading, Reuters, University of Pennsylvania, UK Met Office, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Locations: Northern, Southwest United States, Phoenix , Arizona, Southern Europe, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Asia, China, South Korea, Japan, India, Cheongju, Antarctica, North, Phoenix, “

☆ Traveling to Europe? Here’s What You Need to Know About the Heat Wave.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Lauren Sloss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Southern Europe is baking, thanks to a relentless heat wave with temperatures breaking records across Italy, Spain and Greece. Here’s what you need to know if you’re heading to Europe in the coming days, or are already there. How long will this heat wave last? Forecasts show the heat wave lasting for at least another week, through the end of July. However, this particular anticyclone — named Charon, for the ferryman for the dead in Greek mythology — follows closely on the heels of another high pressure system from the Sahara.

Locations: Southern Europe, Italy, Spain, Greece, Europe, North Africa, Sicily, Sardinia, Croatia, Switzerland, Canary

☆ EU sends water bombers to battle Greece wildfires as Rome shatters temperature record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Canadair CL-415 sprays water during a wildfire in the village of Pournari, near Athens, on July 18, 2023. The European Union sent four Canadair water bombers to help Greece fight wildfires that have been raging for a third day on Wednesday, while authorities warned of another extraordinary heatwave. It comes as scorching heat continues to grip southern Europe, with temperatures in Spain, France and Italy climbing to fresh record highs. Mercury levels in Girona in Spain's Catalonia region hit a record 45 degrees Celsius, while temperatures in Verdun in northeast France reached 40.6 degrees Celsius for the first time. Europe's hottest-ever recorded temperature is believed to have been 48.8 degrees Celsius, logged near the ancient city of Syracuse on the coast of Sicily in August 2021.

Organizations: Canadair CL, European Union, Canadair, Mercury, World Meteorological Organization Locations: Pournari, Athens, Greece, Europe, Spain, France, Italy, Rome, Girona, Spain's Catalonia, Verdun, Syracuse, Sicily

☆ Heatwave-linked pollution sees Spanish city urge less car use
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] SpainÕsÊMinister for Ecological Transition and Vice-president Teresa Ribera rides a bicycle to the meeting of European environment ministers, in Valladolid, Spain, July 10, 2023. Spain, like many parts of the world, is enduring a heatwave that has seen some towns and regions break maximum temperature records in recent days. Valladolid also plans to reroute bike and bus lanes to improve congested traffic, denying claims by cycling groups that it is a covert way to shorten them. It called on vulnerable groups such as people with asthma or other respiratory conditions to make sure they took their medication and to consider reducing open air activity. Reporting by Charlie Devereux and Belen Carreño; additional reporting by Emma Pinedo, Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Teresa Ribera, Charlie Devereux, Belen Carreño, Emma Pinedo, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Spanish Environment Ministry, REUTERS, People's Party, Vox, Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Valladolid, Spain, MADRID, Spanish, Europe

☆ Abu Dhabi's Masdar eyeing acquisition targets in US, Europe expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Yousef Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, July 19 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi state-owned renewable energy firm Masdar is in discussions with potential acquisition targets in the U.S. and is also looking to expand in Europe, Gulf Arab countries and elsewhere, its chief financial officer said on Wednesday. Masdar is in active discussions and U.S. President Joe Biden's $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act "reinforced" its view of the U.S. market, he said. "So we are already securing new capacities, so my expectation is that we are likely to come to market again in 2024," he said, adding Masdar would only issue bonds for already-secured projects. In November, the UAE and U.S. agreed to spend $100 billion on clean energy projects with a goal of adding 100 gigawatts globally by 2035. Jaber last week said countries at COP28 must face how far behind they are lagging climate targets and agree a plan to get on track.

Persons: Niall Hannigan, Joe Biden's, Masdar, Hannigan, Sultan al, Jaber, Yousef Saba, David Evans Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Abu Dhabi, U.S, Europe, Gulf Arab, North America, Balkans, Poland, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Asia, Pacific, Africa, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, UAE

NO CANCELLATIONS YETDemand for travel has soared again this summer as tourists leave behind years of pandemic restrictions, and travel companies say the heat hasn't caused many cancellations - yet. Stories of tourists being airlifted off Italian beaches or ferried away in ambulances from Athens' Acropolis have flooded European media in recent weeks. Italy's Environment Ministry warned in a report this year that foreign tourists would in future travel more in the spring and autumn and choose cooler destinations. Greek authorities closed Athens' ancient Acropolis during the hottest part of the day on Friday to protect tourists. In Spain, high vacation demand is expected in coastal destinations in the north of the country and on Spanish tourist islands, where summer temperatures tend to be cooler, according to a report from national tourism association Exceltur.

Persons: Miguel Sanz, Anita Elshoy, Elshoy, Sean Tipton, Sanz, Dalphna Niebuhr, Daniel Otero, Rebeca Vazquez, Renee Maltezou, Elisa Anzolin, Angelo Amante, Corina Rodriguez, Catherine Evans Organizations: Travel Commission, EUROPE Tourists, Reuters, Ministry, Thomson Locations: ROME, Europe, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Bulgaria, Norway, Rome, Sicily, Athens, EUROPE, American, Greece, Mykonos, Spain, Bilbao, Italy, Madrid

☆ Opinion: ‘A nasty smell that lingers in the nostrils.’ What it’s really like inside Italy’s hellish heatwave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Opinion Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But this year the usual “solleone” (an Italian term used to indicate the hottest summer days) is overwhelming. The dizzying heat is expected to peak early this week, with temperatures climbing above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). It’s not just Italy suffering, with the giant oven of hot air blasting other parts of southern Europe, like Greece and Spain. Experts are warning temperatures might even break the continent’s record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit), set two years ago. A sign outside a pharmacy in Rome displays 45 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures as Italy -- and southern Europe -- braces for even higher numbers this week.

Persons: Silvia Marchetti, Read, it’s, Silvia Marchetti Silvia Marchetti, It’s, Guglielmo Mangiapane, –, Riccardo De Luca, ’, Dante, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Italy CNN, Anadolu Agency, Twitter, Facebook, Housewives Locations: Rome, Capena, Italy, Europe, Greece, Spain, Italian, Roman, UAE

☆ So far, Europe’s electricity systems are coping with the heat.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Stanley Reed | More About Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

While it may be small consolation to people sweltering in the heat wave enveloping southern Europe, electric grids in countries in the region like Italy and Spain have so far met the added demand for power for air-conditioning without any extreme price surges. In a sense, Europe is benefiting from actions taken last year, when soaring natural gas prices resulting from constraints on flows from Russia drove electric power prices to record levels. The European electric grid was also plagued by other problems, including mechanical issues that idled large numbers of France’s nuclear plants. That experience, along with electric power prices that remain substantially higher than what used to be considered normal, have helped dampen demand for electricity despite the high temperatures, analysts say. Incentives also remain in place that encourage the use of high-polluting coal- and oil-burning plants for power generation, measures put in place last year to reduce natural gas consumption.

Persons: ”, Marco Alvera Organizations: TES Locations: Europe, Italy, Spain, Russia

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