Spain remains on high temperature alert – particularly after a provisional June temperature record of 46C (114.8F) was broken in El Granado in the Andalusian province of Huelva on Saturday afternoon. The previous highest temperature recorded for June was 45.2C in Seville in 1965.
A heatwave continues to hit large parts of Europe, with authorities in many countries issuing health warnings amid scorching temperatures.
Southern Spain is the worst affected region, with temperatures in the mid-40s recorded in Seville and neighbouring areas.
A new temperature record for June was broken on Saturday in the town of El Granado, with 46C, according to Spain’s national weather service, which also said the month was on track to be the hottest June on record.
Red heat warnings are in place in parts of Portugal, Italy and Croatia, and there are numerous amber warnings covering parts of Spain, France, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia and Switzerland.
In Barcelona, a woman died after finishing her shift as a street sweeper in the scorching heat on Saturday. Local authorities are investigating her death.
In Italy, emergency services across the country have reported a rise in heat stroke cases, mostly affecting “the elderly, cancer patients or the homeless”, Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Association of Emergency Medicine, told AFP news agency.
Hospitals such as Ospedale dei Colli in Naples have set up special heat stroke lanes to speed up access to vital treatments such as cold immersion.
Further north, the city of Bologna has set up seven climate shelters with air conditioning and drinking water, while Rome has given free access to city swimming pools to people over the age of 70.
A pharmacist in the Portuguese capital Lisbon told Reuters news agency that “we have already had several cases of heat stroke and burns” despite telling people “not to go out” during the hottest hours of the day.
The intense heat has also affected countries in the Western Balkans, where temperatures have soared above 40C.
Serbia recorded its highest temperature since records began in the 19th century. In Slovenia, the hottest temperature in June was recorded on Saturday.
Source: Musitem Haber
