Holiday hotspots facing record 45C temperatures as heatwave hits Europe
Popular holiday hotspots are set to swelter as a record heatwave burns across Europe.
Temperatures could peak as high as 45C this week in parts of Greece, Spain and Italy as at least three people have already died from the heat.
The heatwave, dubbed ‘Cerberus’, has left temperatures 10-15C higher than average for this time of the year across the continent.
In Prague, Czechia, temperatures rarely exceed 24C in June but are now set to hit a sweltering 34C.
Meanwhile, a number of popular holiday destinations have seen temperatures surge past 40C.
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The, quite literal, hotspots have been left almost unbearable now as anyone who’s ventured abroad might be better seeking shade instead.
Today temperatures will once again rise above 40C in many places across the continent (BBC)Spain
Holidaymakers heading to some of Spain's most popular tourist destinations face sweltering days and nights.
In Benidorm, Brits will wake up to almost 30C temperatures and sweat through days of 40C+.
It’s a common sight to see Brits out on the streets of the Spanish town throughout the summer, but in the current heat, they may be wiser to find out some shade or air conditioning inside.
Tourists take cover under a towel in downtown Malaga, Spain (Jesus Merida/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)Temperatures are expected to remain above 30C for the entire week and in the country's capital of Madrid they'll touch 40C after the weekend.
However, Benidorm will dodge the worst of the Spanish heat as in the northeast of the country, in Zaragoza, temperatures could reach 45C next week.
Alongside that, land temperatures will surpass 60C in place - turning weather maps black in places.
In the Spanish capital of Madrid, people waited until evening for the temperatures to drop before venturing out this week (Getty Images)A number of areas in the Iberian Peninsula are under alert for extreme heat.
Granada has already seen temperatures reach 45C once, in the village of Loja, on Monday, and seems set to watch the mercury rise back almost as high.
With temperatures touching 40C today, over the weekend and into next week they’ll once again rise up towards 45C.
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Two woman walking along the Gran Via, in Madrid, Spain, shield themselves from the sun (Getty Images)Tuesday is set to be the worst day, with dangerously high temperatures of 43C.
Greece
Any Brits hoping for a quiet get away on any of the sunny Greek islands may be left sweaty and longing for shade.
The country is renowned for its nearly unbearable summers, with tourists often recommended to avoid the height of the summer season.
But now, due to a number of factors, the stifling heat is spreading out across the year with temperatures pushing towards 40C in nearby Corfu and at some other popular holiday destinations today.
Preliminary data put last week as the hottest one on record (WX Charts)Greece has received the brunt of some of the heat searing its way across Europe.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 45C and in places are unlikely to dip below the high 30Cs.
Authorities in the country have banned access to nature reserves and forests to try and stem the risks of wildfires.
Alongside that, air-conditioned buildings have been opened to the public in places, to help people shelter.
Popular tourist destinations like the Acropolis in Athens are taking special measures to help tourists survive the heat, including setting up shade spots and handing out water bottles.
Italy
In Italy, the country has seen some of the worst of the heat, with Italian politician Nicola Fratoianni tweeting: "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."
Holidaymakers flocked to the beaches in and around Rome, pictured hear at nearby Ostia (EMANUELE VALERI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)In the town, a 44-year-old man collapsed painting a zebra crossing, he was rushed to a hospital where he later died.
The BBC reported that temperatures in the country could reach as high as 48.8C with red alerts being issued for ten cities including Rome, Bologna, and Florence.
In some places in Italy the temperature has recently surpassed 46C - seen here in Tempio Pausania, Sardinia (Getty Images)The Cerberus heatwave was named by the Italian Meteorological Society after the three-headed monster said to guard the Greek underworld.
However, even as Cerberus begins to wain, the next heatwave - dubbed Charon, after the ferryman who would take souls into the underworld - is set to push temperatures back up in the mid-to-high 40s.
One cyclist is doing all he can to stay cool in Turin, Italy at a fountain in Piazza Castello (Getty Images)It was reported temperatures could get as high as 47C on the island of Sardinia.
North Africa/Canary Islands
A number of Brits may be looking to escape Europe and head to Morocco, or the Canary Islands.
But far from avoiding the heat, they would instead be flying into some of the worst of the blistering sun.
On the biggest Canary Islands, Tenerife, holidaymakers would likely be better served staying inside, than bracing the 40C heat.
Off the coast of western Morocco, the Canary Islands are experiencing the worst of some of the heat this week.
A boy jumps into the sea on a hot day at Carthage beach in Tunis, Tunisia to try and keep cool (MOHAMED MESSARA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Overnight, temperatures are only just dropping below 30C with extreme levels of UV in the day - so much so, the Met Office recommends Brits avoid being outside.
Whilst Europe struggles in the heat, bits of North Africa are expected to reach around 50C.
Grahame Madge, spokesman for the service, said: "The heatwave conditions which are affecting parts of southwest Europe and northwest Africa are expected to extend eastward eventually reaching the Middle East later in the week.
Tourists flood the beaches in Rabat, Morocco (JALAL MORCHIDI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)"Communities in the affected regions should expect health impacts and the potential for wildfires."
The World Meteorological Organisation said that the recent heat is due to a mixture of climate change and El Nino.
In a statement, they said: “The world just had the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data. It follows the hottest June on record, with unprecedented sea surface temperatures and record-low Antarctic sea ice extent.
“The record-breaking temperatures on land and in the ocean have potentially devastating impacts on ecosystems and the environment. They highlight the far-reaching changes taking place in Earth’s system as a result of human-induced climate change.”
Prof. Christopher Hewitt, WMO Director of Climate Services: “The exceptional warmth in June and at the start of July occurred at the onset of the development of El Niño, which is expected to further fuel the heat both on land and in the oceans and lead to more extreme temperatures and marine heatwaves.
“We are in uncharted territory and we can expect more records to fall as El Niño develops further and these impacts will extend into 2024,” he said. “This is worrying news for the planet.”
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