× close
The pedestrian zone near the Acropolis in Athens is empty of tourists and residents as Greece faces its hottest July weekend in 50 years.
Greece faced its hottest July weekend in 50 years on Saturday, with temperatures expected to soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), while a record-breaking heat wave spanning the southern United States is expected to expand in the coming days.
Tens of millions of people in the northern hemisphere suffered from intense heat this summer as the world appears to be heading for its hottest July on record.
As temperature records fall, experts point fingers climate change driven by burning fossil fuels, saying global warming plays a key role in destructive weather conditions.
In the southern United States, about 80 million Americans will be sweltering in temperatures of 41C and higher this weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
The nation’s worst heat of up to 46C is predicted for Phoenix, Arizona, which has seen a record three straight weeks of highs above 43C.
There were hellish scenes in the city on Thursday when a massive fire broke out at a propane business near the international airport, blasting tanks into the air.
“Unfortunately, on a hot day like this, these propane tanks with this heat expansion, they literally become missiles… They can travel over 500 yards (meters),” Fire Captain Rob McDade said. at the KPHO television station.
× close
The US city of Phoenix, Arizona has had a record three straight weeks of highs above 43C (109F).
Tourists, meanwhile, flock to Death Valley National Park, which straddles the California-Nevada border, to post selfies with temperature displays outside the visitor center.
Many hope to see him break a world record of 56.7C, which was set in July 1913 but was probably the result of an erroneous measurement, according to several meteorologists.
Absolute hottest month
Either way, July 2023 is on track to be the hottest absolute month, not only since records began, but also for “hundreds, if not thousands of years,” the climatologist said in NASA chief Gavin Schmidt.
The effects cannot be attributed solely to the El Niño climate model, which is “just emerging” and only expected to strengthen later in the year.
El Nino is associated with warming ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
Schmidt said the extreme heat trend is expected to persist, “and the reason we think it will continue is because we continue to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.”
× close
Firefighters battled dozens of wildfires across California this summer.
Greece, which is fighting against dozens of Forest fireswarned people not to venture out unnecessarily due to the heat of cooking.
The exceptional temperatures also mean that key tourist sites such as the Acropolis will be closed during the hottest part of the day.
“This weekend is likely to be the hottest recorded in July in the past 50 years,” said Panagiotis Giannopoulos, meteorologist at public broadcaster ERT.
“Athens is going to have temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius for six to seven days, until the end of July.”
Such a prolonged period of scorching temperatures is exceptional for the Greek capital.
Sunday is likely to see the city working in temperatures as high as 44C, with the central region of Thessaly enduring 45C.
A 46-year-old man has meanwhile reportedly succumbed to heatstroke on the central Greek island of Euboea after being admitted to Chalkida Hospital, which said cardio-respiratory arrest following exposure to high temperatures appears to be the cause.
× close
Greece is on high alert for wildfires, with firefighters still battling dozens of blazes.
The national meteorological institute EMY had previously reported temperatures of 41°C in the Attica region, which encompasses the capital Athens, and predicted up to 44°C in Thessaly.
Yannis Kallianos, meteorologist for the private channel Mega, spoke of an “endless and powerful heat wave”.
“According to the latest forecasts, the heat wave could last until next Thursday or Friday,” warned Kallianos, adding that strong northerly winds could also start fires.
Meanwhile, authorities reported that firefighters were still battling 79 wildfires across the country, with their spokesman Vassilios Vathrakoyannis saying Greece would be on high alert throughout the weekend.
Greece is just one of many countries battling a prolonged wave of extreme heat around the world in recent days.
