Europe heatwave – live: Holidaymakers evacuated in Greece wildfires as extreme heat set to last until August

Holidaymakers have been evacuated from at least six seaside communities in Greece as their homes are threatened by wildfires amid the extreme heat hitting Europe that will likely last until August.

Gusts of wind up to 45 mph are pushing flames through hillside scrub and pine forests parched by extreme heat near Athens, leading authorities to issue the evacuation orders on Monday.

Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization warned that the heatwave affecting the Mediterranean is forecast to intensify by mid-week, including in Greece, and is likely to continue into August in some places.

New records have already been set for specific weather stations in parts of the northern hemisphere and new national records may also be set, the UN agency's website said.

Another anticyclone dubbed “Charon”, who in Greek mythology was the ferryman of the dead, advanced into the region from north Africa on Sunday and could lift temperatures well above 45C in parts of Italy, Spain and Greece.

The hottest temperature recorded in Europe was 48.8C in Sicily, in August 2021.

It comes as extreme temperatures are breaking records worldwide as both the US and China saw the mercury crossing 50C on Sunday.

Key Points

• Wildfires threaten seaside homes outside Greek capital after heatwave

• Heatwave ‘likely to continue into August’, says UN

• New heat storm 'Charon' stretches into southern Europe

• 16 red alerts issued for Italy

• La Palma residents ‘refusing to leave homes’ as thousands evacuated

• Over 50C temperatures recorded in China and US

Europe heatwave: Is it safe to travel to Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia?

09:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Travellers from the UK, US and elsewhere in the world may be looking with concern at planned trips to the Mediterranean.

As the busiest summer getaway since 2019 begins, travellers to southern Europe are likely to experience extreme heat. An area of high pressure appears to have settled over the Med with little sign of abating.

The deadly “Cerberus” heatwave (so named by Italian meteorologists) is gripping southern France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey, as well as smaller countries in the Mediterranean region.

Europe heatwave: Is it safe to travel to Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia?

Europe's sweltering summer could send tourists to cooler climes

08:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Soaring summer temperatures across southern Europe could prompt a lasting shift in tourist habits, with more travellers choosing cooler destinations or taking their holidays in spring or autumn to dodge the extreme heat, tourism bodies and experts predict.

European Travel Commission (ETC) data shows the number of people hoping to travel to the Mediterranean region in June to November has already fallen 10% compared to last year, when scorching weather led to droughts and wildfires.

Destinations like the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland and Bulgaria have meanwhile seen a spike in interest.

“We anticipate that unpredictable weather conditions in the future will have a greater impact on travellers’ choices in Europe,” said Miguel Sanz, the head of the ETC.

A report by the trade body also shows 7.6% of travellers now see extreme weather events as a major concern for trips between June and November.

Among them are Anita Elshoy and her husband, who returned home to Norway from their favourite vacation spot of Vasanello, a village north of Rome, a week earlier than planned this month as temperatures reached around 35C.

“(I) got a lot of pain in the head, legs and (my) fingers swelled up and I became more and more dizzy,” Elshoy said of her heat-related symptoms. “We were supposed to be there for two weeks, but we couldn’t (stay) because of the heat.”

Italy braces for record-breaking heat as temperatures set to soar to 48C

08:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Italy is bracing for its highest-ever temperature today as Sardinia and Sicily have been forecast to reach 48C by European Space Agency.

Twenty red warning alerts have been issued today out of 27 cities in Italy as the country bears another day of the unrelenting heatwave.

Meteorologists predict that temperatures this week may surpass Europe’s current record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.84 Fahrenheit), set in Sicily in August 2021, raising fears of a repetition of last year’s heat deaths.

Which holiday destinations will be hottest this week and how can you stay safe as temperatures soar?

07:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Cerberus heatwave has been causing the mercury to rise across southern Europe since last week, bringing temperatures of 40C and upwards in some parts of the continent.

With preliminary figures showing Earth’s average temperature set a new record high on 13 July for the third time in a week, this new spell of hot weather will continue to impact holidaymakers – particularly those heading for the Mediterranean countries of Spain, Italy and Greece – as well as locals.

The heatwave has been caused by a combination of unusually high surface temperatures at sea and an area of high pressure over the Mediterranean, with the addition of clouds of Saharan dust in some areas.

The hottest destinations in Europe this week – and how to stay safe

US-China start climate talks as both countries see temperatures soar to 50C this week

07:18 , Stuti Mishra

US climate envoy John Kerry is in Beijing as both countries restart climate talks after a halt of a year amid blistering heatwaves affecting both regions and large parts of northern hemisphere.

Mr Kerry met the Chinese climate envoy yesterday and China’s top diplomat today assuring that president Joe Biden’s administration is “very committed” to stabilising relations between the world’s two biggest economies.

Mr Kerry told Wang Yi that Mr Biden hoped the two countries could “achieve efforts together that can make a significant difference to the world.”

Ties between the countries have hit a historic low amid disputes over tariffs, access to technology, human rights and China’s threats against self-governing Taiwan.

In his opening remarks, Mr Wang said the sides had suffered from a lack of communication, but that China believes through renewed dialogue “we can find a proper solution to any problems.”

Switzerland evacuates villages due to wildfire

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Switzerland ordered the evacuation of several mountain villages yesterday night as a forest fire spread, amid blistering heat reported across Europe.

About 200 firefighters, army, police and other partners worked alongside helicopters to douse the flames in the canton of Valais throughout the afternoon but it continued to burn.

"The fire is spreading towards Ried-Morel-Riederhorn," police said in a brief statement on Twitter at 6.30pm GMT, saying they would evacuate the Ried-Morel village, near the town of Brig, which is close to the Italian border. It later added that three other villages were to be evacuated and warned of rockfalls.

It was not immediately clear how many people were affected.

Air Zermatt, which operates four of the helicopters, said efforts to extinguish the fire would continue through the night.

Valais police posted pictures showing a helicopter dangling a water cannon above a forest fire in the afternoon. A later shot showed a much larger fire with smoke eclipsing most of the forest.

The area is affected by the same Mediterranean heatwave affecting southern Europe, with temperatures set to exceed 30C in parts of the Valais canton this week, forecasts show.

UK could see 40C heatwaves every three years, Met Office warns amid sweltering heatwaves in Europe

05:55 , Stuti Mishra

Temperatures of 40C had never been recorded in the UK until 19 July last year, but they could be appearing as frequently as every three years by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed, the Met Office has said.

Experts have also warned the UK is “dangerously unprepared” for the coming heat because most of its buildings were designed for a colder climate that is now disappearing.

Read more:

Heatwaves will become more frequent in UK without emissions cut, Met Office says

Deadly tickborne virus spreading in Europe due to prolonged heat

05:00 , Stuti Mishra

A virus with a fatality rate of 30 per cent is spreading in Europe, an expert has warned, as the continent grapples with intense and prolonged heat due to the climate crisis.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a disease caused by a tickborne virus, is categorised as one of the nine “priority diseases” deemed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to “pose the greatest public health risk due to their epidemic potential”.

The disease, with a fatality rate of approximately 30 per cent, already kills around 500 people each year and is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asian countries south of the geographical limit of the principal tick vector, which stretches as far north as Mongolia, the UN health agency states.

However, a virologist has warned that ticks carrying the virus were “moving up through Europe due to climate change, with longer and drier summers”.

Read this report from Andy Gregory for more:

Deadly tickborne virus that’s spreading in Europe ‘likely to reach UK’

Southern Europe weather forecast today

04:07 , Stuti Mishra

Southern European countries grappling with intense heat could see the mercury soar even further starting today as forecasts show temperatures rising as high as 46C in some parts.

Italy, Spain and Greece are forecast to see temperatures above 40C in large parts as a second heatwave named Charon engulfs the region.

Sardinia and Sicily are expected to see temperatures above 45C or even as high as 48C, which, if it happens, could threaten the 48.8C record for Europe’s highest-ever temperature.

Weather maps show the heatwave intensifying in the middle of the week before a brief respite by the end of the week in some parts of Italy.

Here’s a country-wise breakdown and temperature forecast:

Holidaymakers evacuated in Greece wildfires amid heatwave in Europe

UK government plan to prepare for climate change 'deeply disappointing'

Monday 17 July 2023 22:30 , Matt Drake

Meanwhile, in the UK, leaked government plans for adapting the UK to the effects of climate change have been labelled as "deeply disappointing".

The latest National Adaptation Programme had been expected to be published on Tuesday, but was released on Monday following a leak to The Guardian newspaper.

The 140-page document offers a five-year plan that ministers said would boost resilience and help protect people, homes and businesses from heatwaves, droughts, floods and the other damaging impacts of climate change.

It also commits the Ministry of Justice to research the impact of climate on staff and prisoner behaviour, with pilots planned by 2027.

On the natural environment, Defra also pointed to plans for environmental land management schemes and local nature recovery strategies.

But the plan was criticised for failing to properly grapple with adaptation planning.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas called it "deeply disappointing and really lacking in ambition".

WHO director-general warns that the Climate Crisis is 'not a warning'

Monday 17 July 2023 21:42 , Matt Drake

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organisation, wrote on Twitter: "In many parts of the world, today is predicted to be the hottest day on record.

“And these records have already been broken a few times this year. Heatwaves put our health and lives at risk.

"The #ClimateCrisis is not a warning. It’s happening. I urge world leaders to act now.”

It comes as many parts of Italy are poised to hit 45C on Tuesday.

Watch: New Delhi flooded as river water levels break 40-year record

Monday 17 July 2023 20:42 , Andy Gregory

EU debating whether to set higher climate target ahead of Cop28, draft document suggests

Monday 17 July 2023 20:17 , Andy Gregory

European Union members are debating whether to update their climate pledge ahead of this year’s Cop28 summit, to show they expect to exceed their current goal for CO2 emission cuts, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.

The bloc has one of the most ambitious climate targets among major economies, having enshrined in law a commitment to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions 55 per cent by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.

The document said EU countries may notify the UN that they can reach a 57 per cent emissions cut. The text was in brackets, indicating it is not yet agreed by all countries, and the improved goal would only occur if member states comply with recently-passed EU policies to expand renewables and impose higher fees on polluting firms.

Greek rescuers help monks free monastery threatened by flames

Monday 17 July 2023 19:48 , Andy Gregory

In Greece, where two wildfires near Athens forced the evacuation of at least six seaside communities, the army, police forces and volunteer rescuers are reported to have freed retirees from their homes, rescued horses from a stable, and helped monks flee a monastery threatened by the flames.

‘It’s terrifying’: Spain braces for worst of heatwave

Monday 17 July 2023 19:31 , Andy Gregory

In the latest of The Independent’s “In Focus” series, Graham Keeley reports from Madrid:

For Kinvara Vaughan, the prospect of record temperatures hitting the Mediterranean from Tuesday fills her with dread.

“I saw the headline: heat storm heading for Europe this week. It is terrifying. We are doing a spectacular job destroying the planet,” she says from her home in Marbella, southern Spain.

Parts of southern Europe could hit its hottest ever temperature on Italy’s islands of Sicily and Sardinia, where a high of 48C is predicted, according to the European Space Agency. Spain’s Aemet weather agency said the heatwave this week “will affect a large part of the countries bordering the Mediterranean”, with temperatures in some southern areas of Spain exceeding 42C.

The power of the sun is very real for Vaughan, given a discovery by her doctors earlier this year. “They discovered three moles with stage one melanoma, and they could treat them. They said that I would not need chemotherapy. It was a shock as I had not been for a check-up for over three years. I was so lucky, ” the 47-year-old half-British, half-Canadian equestrian centre manager tells The Independent.

Read the full article with Independent Premium:

‘It’s terrifying’: Spain braces for worst of heatwave

Air quality alerts issued across the US as Canadian wildfire smoke returns

Monday 17 July 2023 18:49 , Andy Gregory

Canadian wildfire smoke has returned to parts of the United States this week, our senior climate correspondent Louise Boyle reports.

Air quality alerts were issued for the northern High Plains, the Midwest, Great Lakes, central Tennessee, North Carolina and the Northeast through Tuesday as northwesterly winds pushed smoke down from fires raging across Canada.

Smoke concentrations will recede over central parts of the US on Tuesday but may still cause poor air quality along the East Coast, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported.

The higher concentrations of smoke will result in unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups cause by high levels of particulate matter PM2.5.

Air quality alerts issued across the US as Canadian wildfire smoke returns

Experts warn of workers exposed to potentially fatal heat

Monday 17 July 2023 18:27 , Andy Gregory

Experts have warned of the potentially deadly impacts on workers exposed to extreme heat, as they criticised insufficient health and safety protections despite the increasing risk.

“It is clear that in many parts of the world, workers in high exposure sectors such as agriculture and construction are at increasing risk from heat stress, yet there are still insufficient health and safety protections,” said Professor Elizabeth Robinson, of the London School of Economics.

“There is still insufficient understanding of how worker health is being harmed, the extent to which workers are able to adapt to the reality of increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat, and the extent to which employers are taking action to protect workers’ health.”

Dr Shouro Dasgupta, also of LSE’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, added: “Heatwaves result in increased risk of discomfort, of limitations in physical functions and capabilities, and ultimately also of injuries and heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, and heat exhaustion, to potentially fatal heat stroke.

“Workers might think about changing what they wear, taking additional breaks, and increasing rehydration.”

Man detained on suspicion of arson as wildfires force large evacuations near Athens

Monday 17 July 2023 17:48 , Andy Gregory

Hundreds of children have been evacuated from a summer camp and villagers forced to leave their homes as two separate wildfires fanned by strong winds damaged houses to the southeast and west of Athens, authorities said.

The blaze that broke out in the village of Kouvaras, just 17 miles from the Greek capital, spread fast amid erratic winds, a Greek fire service official said. Some 200 firemen with the help of around 20 soldiers, 68 engines and 16 aircraft were trying to control the flames, the official added.

Greek television showed several houses and cars gutted by the blaze and thick white smoke billowing from burning vegetation.

“Due to high winds, the blaze spread across 12 kilometres in two hours,” a Greek Fire Service spokesperson said, adding that police had detained a person suspected of arson. Fire brigade services have been placed on standby in the wider Athens area.

Around 1,200 children from a summer camp and residents of a rehabilitation centre were evacuated in another wildfire close to the seaside resort of Loutraki, about 50 miles west of Athens, a local mayor told Greek television.

Hot African air has turned Italy into ‘giant pizza oven’, says expert

Monday 17 July 2023 17:29 , Andy Gregory

Hot air which has pushed from Africa into southern Europe has turned Italy into “a giant pizza oven”, with heat in warm sea, land and air is continuing to build, an expert has said – as she warned that forecast climate impacts appear to be happening simultaneously across the world.

“The bubble of hot air that has inflated over southern Europe has turned Italy and surrounding countries into a giant pizza oven,” said Professor Hannah Cloke, of the University of Reading.

“The hot air which pushed in from Africa is now staying put, with settled high pressure conditions meaning that heat in warm sea, land and air continues to build.

“It is not surprising that different parts of the northern hemisphere have heatwaves during our summer months, but the combined picture is starting to look like climate change impacts all happening at the same time, as scientists have forecast for decades. We are now living through these impacts, rather than predicting them in a computer simulation of the future climate.

“Sea level rise, melting ice, extreme heatwaves, intense rainfall, wildfires, drought and floods are cropping up in many parts of the world at the same time. In previous heatwaves, such as Britain’s hot summer of 1976, other parts of the globe had a relatively cool year. Today’s extremes of weather are increasingly throwing everything everywhere all at once.”

La Palma residents allowed to return to homes after 4,000 evacuated

Monday 17 July 2023 17:05 , Andy Gregory

In Spain, a wildfire that started on Saturday on the Canary island of La Palma continued to burn out of control on Monday, although authorities said weaker winds and cooler temperatures in the area are helping firefighters combat it.

The blaze has burned some 460 square kilometres – an area larger than the city of Glasgow – of mostly woody hill land, and some 20 houses and other buildings.

More than 4,000 residents were evacuated from their homes on Saturday, but were allowed to return as of late on Sunday. Here is some footage of the devastation:

Watch live as wildfires rage and smoke rises across coastal towns in Greece

Monday 17 July 2023 16:49 , Andy Gregory

Our video team has a live view of Kalyvia in Greece, where wildfires have sparked evacuations of coastal towns and smoke continued to rise across the sky on Monday.

Heatwave ‘likely to continue into August’, says UN

Monday 17 July 2023 15:57 , Tara Cobham

The heatwave affecting the Mediterranean is forecast to intensify by mid-week and is likely to continue into August in some places, said the World Meteorological Organization said on Monday.

New records have already been set for specific weather stations in parts of the northern hemisphere and new national records may also be set, the UN agency's website said.

"The heat is forecast to intensify by the middle of the week (19 July) in parts of the Mediterranean, including Greece and Turkey," it said. "A further continuation into August is likely."

Wildfires threaten seaside homes outside Greek capital after heatwave

Monday 17 July 2023 15:16 , Tara Cobham

Greek authorities issued evacuation orders for at least six seaside communities Monday as wildfires threatened vacation homes near Athens, with gusts of wind up to 70 kph (45 mph) pushing flames through hillside scrub and pine forests parched by extreme heat.

Water-dropping planes and helicopters tackled the flames near Lagonisi, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the capital, in an area with thousands of seaside vacation homes.

The fire service reported a second large wildfire in a wooded area near the resort town of Loutraki, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Athens, where a children's summer camp and rehabilitation center for seniors were evacuated, local officials said.

Greater Athens and much of southern Greece were on the second-highest alert for wildfires Monday and Tuesday following a four-day heat wave that eased over the weekend. More heatwave temperatures are expected later in the week.

Residents and visitors in areas affected by the two fires received cell phone alerts from the Civil Protection Ministry. Loutraki Mayor Giorgos Gionis said municipal workers were assisting seniors in the evacuations, adding that the operation has been impeded by cell phone reception outages.

The flames reached the edges of settlements in Loutraki and Lagonisi, causing damage to some homes, but the fire service did not have an initial official assessment of the damage.

Expert concerned about pregnant women, babies, children and elderly in heat

Monday 17 July 2023 14:30 , Tara Cobham

An expert has expressed her concerns about the impact of heat on pregnant women, young babies and children, as well as the elderly.

Dr Chloe Brimicombe, Climate Scientist and Extreme Heat Researcher, University of Graz, said: “Heat does not just cause excess death amongst the elderly. I’m most worried about the impact of heat on pregnant women, young babies and children. We see a rise in preterm birth as an outcome of pregnancy with exposure to extreme heat. And a rise in hospital admissions amongst all of these groups.”

‘Humanity will have to adapt to even more severe heatwaves in future,' says expert

Monday 17 July 2023 14:01 , Tara Cobham

A scientist has warned that “humanity will have to adapt to even more severe heatwaves in the future” as he reacts to the extreme weather conditions seen across the world.

Prof Simon Lewis, Chair of Global Change Science, University College London, said: “This is just the beginning. This is what the climate system can do at just 1.2 degrees C warming. Current policies globally have us hitting 2.7 degrees C warming by 2100. That's truly terrifying.

“As scientists agreed last year: There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. Deep, rapid and sustained cuts in carbon emissions to net zero can halt the warming, but humanity will have to adapt to even more severe heatwaves in the future.”

‘Heat hell is worldwide,’ climate expert warns

Monday 17 July 2023 13:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Commenting on the extreme heat conditions being experienced in Southern Europe, as well as other parts of the world including the US and China, Gareth Redmond-King, Head of International Programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “Heatwaves in Europe have been given names from the underworld, but the heat hell is worldwide at the moment. These extremes are dangerous; last year’s record heat claimed almost 3,500 lives in the UK alone.

“But we live in a globalised world. Even as Britain experiences a gloomy and relatively cool July, the extreme heat and droughts, torrential rains and flooding around the world have a direct hit for us too.

“We import half our food - half of that comes from climate vulnerable countries. As harvests are hit by climate disasters, supplies are constrained and prices rise.

“If we don’t halt heating at 1.5°C by getting to net zero, and support the nations that supply our food to adapt to these extremes, then we’ll pay the price at the supermarket, in empty shelves and higher prices.”

How to keep your house cool in a heatwave

Monday 17 July 2023 12:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Earth’s average temperature set a new unofficial record high for the third time in a week recently as temperatures across the globe continue to soar.

According to chief meteorologist Paul Davies, who spoke to Sky News amid a recent heatwave, the high temperatures are “entirely consistent” with climate change, and “could become a regular occurence by the end of the century”.

During extremely warm weather, it’s important to know how to keep your home cool, especially if you do not have air-conditioning.

From closing your windows during the day to building your own DIY AC, here is what you can do to lower the temperature in your home.

How to keep your house cool in warm weather

Mapped: Temperatures set to soar in Europe due to Charon heatwave

Monday 17 July 2023 12:15 , Tara Cobham

Southern Europe is bracing for scorching temperatures this week as a new anticyclone entered the region, adding to the deadly heatwave that began last week.

The new weather system, named Charon after the ferryman of the dead in Greek mythology, moved over the region on Sunday after days of sweltering heat under another high pressure weather system dubbed Cerberus.

Charon, which like Cerberus has moved northwards from north Africa, is expected to drive temperatures in Italy’s Sardinia as high as 48C, a mark that could see it approach or even break Sicily’s 48.8C record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe.

Stuti Mishra reports:

Mapped: Temperatures set to soar in Italy, Spain and Greece due to Charon heatwave

Why the heat is an issue

Monday 17 July 2023 11:50 , Tara Cobham

The hot weather has caused health issues, leading to a strain on local medical services during a busy tourist period.

Fifteen cities in Italy, most of them in the country’s centre and south, were under heat advisories due to a high level of risk for older adults, children and other vulnerable people.

Last week, a 44-year-old man, who was painting a zebra crossing in 40C heat in the northern town of Lodi, lost consciousness and later died in hospital, local media reported.

More than 2,000 people have been evacuated as a wildfire raged on La Palma in the Canary Islands, while authorities in Greece opened air-conditioned areas in public buildings.

Watch: Huge wildfire rages on La Palma forcing thousands to evacuate

Monday 17 July 2023 11:00 , Tara Cobham

Forget Cerberus – these heatwaves will soon be Britain’s new normal

Monday 17 July 2023 10:40 , Tara Cobham

Europe braces for temperatures touching 49C. Fires rage in the forests of Spain. More than a dozen cities across Italy are put on red heat alert. The Acropolis is closed to tourists as holidaymakers buckle in the midday sun.

The current Cerberus heatwave in Southern Europe, we have been told, could well lead to “potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe”, while we have also been told that the first week of July was the hottest week ever recorded worldwide.

This year has also seen the hottest June on record in the UK, with an average temperature of 15.8C during the month. And, just last year, the temperature in the UK crossed 40C for the first time ever.

But this is not an anomaly; it is becoming routine. Every year, summer comes around, and meteorologists tell us that we have just experienced the hottest day, week or month on record.

Nick Ferris reports:

Forget Cerberus – these heatwaves will soon be Britain’s new normal

Will it get hotter in Europe

Monday 17 July 2023 10:19 , Tara Cobham

Forecasters say in the coming days parts of Italy and Greece could push the 48.8C recorded in Syracuse, Sicily in August 2021, the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe.

The hot weather is set to continue for at least another week, especially in Greece and parts of Turkey.

It will ease slightly in countries across western Europe, such as Spain and Portugal in the next few days, the Met Office said.

Italy shuts main Sicily airport until Wednesday due to fire

Monday 17 July 2023 10:00 , Tara Cobham

The airport in the Sicilian city of Catania, close to some of the main tourist hot spots in eastern Sicily, has been shut down until Wednesday due to a fire, its management company wrote on Twitter.

The fire broke out late on Sunday and there were no injuries, the airport said. Firefighters said they managed to contain the blaze about 90 minutes after it was called in, but provided no details on possible causes or any link to current high temperatures in the region.

Catania was among several Italian cities that imposed a hot weather red alert on Sunday, along with the Sicilian capital of Palermo and the third island's largest city of Messina, as the country braced for record high temperatures in the coming days.

Flights at the Sicilian airport, which according to the Assoaeroporti sector group, ranked fifth for traffic in Italy last year and first on the island, have been suspended until 1200 GMT on Wednesday, the company said.

Ansa news agency reported dense smoke in the lower part of the facility after the fire broke out, sending people rushing out of the airport shouting and in distress.

The Catania airport is regularly used by tourists heading to places like Mount Etna and Taormina, which is about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) away, and Siracusa, with its Greek Theatre and the historical centre on the Ortigia island.

Why is there no UK heatwave as Europe swelters during Charon?

Monday 17 July 2023 09:38 , Tara Cobham

A deadly heatwave sweeping across Europe with temperatures forecast to shatter records in the coming days stands in complete contrast to the weather faced by the United Kingdom that has had wet and windy conditions continuing this week.

As the UK gets prolonged showers – the Met Office predicts unsettled conditions to continue for the next few days – the Mediterranean region grapples with soaring heat that could touch a new European record as soon as this week.

Stuti Mishra reports:

Why is there no UK heatwave as Europe swelters during Charon?

British holidaymakers reportedly changing plans for fear of heatwave

Monday 17 July 2023 09:20 , Tara Cobham

Some British holidaymakers are changing their plans for fear of the European heatwave, it has been reported.

Justine Rush, 53, who is in Corfu, told the Observer: “It’s properly hot – too hot to go outside in the day, except when you’re in the sea. We’ve had to stay in our room most of the day.”

Paola Deitan, 29, from Marlborough, Wiltshire, was planning to travel with her best friend to Greece, but has now opted for Barcelona, the newspaper said.

People can change their holiday plans, but normal conditions apply, including cancellation fees.

In pictures: Heatwave in Europe

Monday 17 July 2023 09:00 , Tara Cobham

Extreme heatwave in US while flooding killed at least five

Monday 17 July 2023 08:27 , Tara Cobham

An extreme heatwave peaked in the western United States on Sunday, with temperatures reaching 128 Fahrenheit (53 Celsius) in the California desert, while flash flooding continued to menace the Northeast, killing at least five people.

Nearly a quarter of the US population fell under extreme heat advisories, partly due to a stubborn heat dome that has been parked over western states. While baking parts of the country, the heat dome has also helped generate heavy rains in the Northeast, a pattern expected to continue for days if not weeks, according to the National Weather Service.

In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia, downpours and flash flooding over the weekend killed at least five people. Nearly 7 inches (17 cm) of rain fell on the area in 45 minutes late Saturday, Upper Makefield Township Fire Chief Tim Brewer told a press conference, claiming five lives as vehicles were swept away. Two children, one aged 2 and the other 9 months, remained missing.

"We continue to look for the two children," Brewer said. "We are not going to give up regardless. The weather is a factor but at this point we are going to continue the operations and have already set things in motion for tomorrow as well."

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday urged residents in her state to avoid travel until the rain passes, saying that "your car can go from a place of safety to a place of death" if swept up in a flash flood.

The rains were expected to ease on Monday but nonetheless created havoc throughout much of the Northeast in recent days, with Vermont in particular reporting catastrophic flooding in its capital Montpelier.

South East Water says it lost £17 million in year due to extreme weather

Monday 17 July 2023 07:49 , Tara Cobham

South East Water said it had lost around £17 million in the year to the end of March due to extreme weather.

The business said the cost of the exceptional conditions had come from directly responding by sourcing new water, paying compensation to customers and repairing leaks caused by last year’s heatwave and other similar events.

It helped push the company into a pre-tax loss of £74.2 million, down from a profit of £17 million a year earlier. Revenue was up 2.5% to £257.5 million.

South East Water supplies about 2.2 million homes in Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire.

China logs 52.2 Celsius as extreme weather rewrites records

Monday 17 July 2023 07:40 , Tara Cobham

A remote township in China's arid northwest endured temperatures of more than 52 Celsius (126 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, state media reported, setting a record for a country that was battling minus 50C weather just six months ago.

Temperatures at Sanbao township in Xinjiang's Turpan Depression soared as high as 52.2C on Sunday, state-run Xinjiang Daily reported on Monday, with the record heat expected to persist at least another five days.

The Sunday temperature broke a previous record of 50.3C, measured in 2015 near Ayding in the depression, a vast basin of sand dunes and dried-up lakes more than 150 m (492 ft) below sea level.

Since April, countries across Asia have been hit by several rounds of record-breaking heat, stoking concerns about their ability to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. The target of keeping long-term global warming within 1.5C is moving out of reach, climate experts say.

Prolonged bouts of high temperatures in China have challenged power grids and crops, and concerns are mounting of a possible repeat of last year's drought, the most severe in 60 years.

China is no stranger to dramatic swings in temperatures across the seasons but the swings are getting wider.

Heat Index at Persian Gulf Airport recorded at 66C

Monday 17 July 2023 07:30 , Stuti Mishra

The heat index at the Persian Gulf International Airport reached 66 degrees Celsius or 152 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, according to data from the US National Weather Service.

The heat index is different from the air temperature, which stood at 40C at the location.

It refers to a measure of what temperature feels like to the human body, combining humidity with ambient air temperature.

New heat storm 'Charon' stretches into southern Europe

Monday 17 July 2023 07:02 , Stuti Mishra

Europe’s record for the hottest temperature ever recorded could be broken this week, with Italy issuing new hot weather red alerts for 16 cities as another heat dome heads towards the Mediterranean region.

A new anticyclone dubbed “Charon”, who in Greek mythology was the ferryman of the dead, advanced into the region from north Africa on Sunday and could lift temperatures well above 45C in parts of Italy.

“We need to prepare for a severe heat storm that, day after day, will blanket the whole country,” Italian weather news service said.

“In some places ancient heat records will be broken.”The hottest temperature recorded in Europe was 48.8C in Sicily, in August 2021.

California's Death Valley on track to beat its own record for highest temperature on Earth

Monday 17 July 2023 06:30 , Stuti Mishra

California's Death Valley has recorded a temperature of 53 degrees Celsius on Sunday amid sweltering global temperatures that are baking parts of Asia and Europe as well.

The Furnace Creek area in Death Valley, which runs along part of central California's border with Nevada and has long been considered the hottest place on Earth, recorded 53.33C, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

Meteorologists are raising concerns that amid extreme temperatures worldwide, Furnace Creek can see the mercury rising up to 55C or above.

The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 56.67C in July 1913 at Furnace Creek. However, there are some disputes over this reading.

Temperatures at or above 54.4C have only been recorded on Earth a handful of times, mostly in Death Valley.

Japan issues heatstroke alerts for tens of millions of people

Monday 17 July 2023 05:51 , Stuti Mishra

Amid sweltering heat in parts of Asia, Japan has issued heatstroke alerts on Sunday to tens of millions of people warning that the heat was at life-threatening levels.

Japan saw temperatures soaring to nearly 40C in some places, including the capital Tokyo.

The government issued heatstroke alerts for 20 of the country’s 47 prefectures, mainly in the east and southwest, affecting tens of millions of people.

While record-high temperatures were scorching swathes of the country, torrential rain pummelled other regions.

Over 50C temperatures recorded in China and US

Monday 17 July 2023 05:23 , Stuti Mishra

As southern Europe is grappling with record-breaking heat, the US and several countries in Asia are also experiencing record-breaking temperatures.

China's Sanbao city recorded an extreme temperature of 52C on Sunday while in the US Death Valley, known for being the world's hottest place, recorded 51C.

Some parts of Europe are on track to challenge these figures later this week, forecasters have warned.

California fires result in almost 1000 homes evacuated

Monday 17 July 2023 03:00 , Holly Hales

Hundreds of firefighters are attempting to fight agressive wildfires southeast of Los Angeles.

Nearly 1,000 homes have been evacuated in the chaos but there are no reports of injuries on Sunday.

The fires are all within roughly 40 miles of one another in Riverside County,

One alone is believed to have overtaken 7,600 acres.

The local fire department said all fires remain under investigation.

Firefighter killed battling wildfire in Canada's Northwest Territories

Monday 17 July 2023 01:30 , Holly Hales

A firefighter has died from an injury sustained while battling a wildfire in Canada’s Northwest Territories, becoming the second killed in recent days as blazes continue to burn in parts of the country, authorities said on Sunday.

With about 10 million hectares already burned across the country, Canada is on track for its worst wildfire season on record, with blazes also raging in large swathes of eastern Canada.

The firefighter, who died on Saturday, was from the town of Fort Liard, the Northwestern Territories government said. It did not provide the firefighter’s name. Another firefighter died on Thursday in British Columbia in a separate wildfire.

Monday 17 July 2023 00:30 , Holly Hales

Heavy rains pounded an already saturated northeastern United States on Sunday spurring another round of flash flooding, cancelled airline flights and power outages.

In Pennsylvania, a sudden flash flood late on Saturday afternoon claimed at least five lives.Officials in Bucks County’s Upper Makefield Township in Pennsylvania said torrential rains occurred around 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Washington Crossing area, sweeping away several cars.

At least five people died and two childen, a nine-month-old boy and his two-year-old sister, remained missing, authorities said.

Other parts of the East Coast were experiencing heavy rain, including Vermont. Authorities there said landslides could become a problem Sunday as the state copes with more rain following days of flooding.“There are flash flood warnings throughout the state today. Remain vigilant and be prepared,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said.Sunday’s strong storms led to hundreds of flight cancellations at airports in the New York City area, according to the tracking service FlightAware.

More than 350 flights were canceled at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey alone, while more than 280 flights were canceled at Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Hundreds of flights were delayed.The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and tornado watches for parts of Connecticut, western Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. A tornado warning was issued for an area along the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border.Thousands of power outages also were reported.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged people to stay home Sunday until the storms passed.“Here comes the rain. It just seems unrelenting this year,” she said. “You have to avoid unnecessary travel. ... A flash flood doesn’t give you warning ... and in those moments your car can go from a place of safety to a place of death.”Hochul said 13 centimeters of rain fell within two hours in Suffolk County on Long Island.

The state saw $50 million in damages from last week’s storms. Disaster declarations will cover more than a dozen New York counties.

Heavy precipitation was not the only extreme weather plaguing the U.S. A scorching heat wave across the Southwest has put roughly one-third of Americans under some type of heat watch or warning.

That included brutal temperatures in the hottest place on Earth — Death Valley, which runs along part of central California’s border with Nevada. Las Vegas also faced the possibility of reaching an all-time record temperature Sunday.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency posted air quality alerts for several states stretching from Montana to Ohio on Sunday because of smoke blowing in from Canadian wildfires. Hochul, the New York governor, said she expected air quality alerts to be issued for northern and western parts of New York state Monday because of the wildfires.“Air Quality alerts are in place for much of the Great Lakes, Midwest, and northern High Plains,” the National Weather Service said. “This is due to the lingering thick concentration of Canadian wildfire smoke over these regions.”

UK’s weather revealed as showers continue

Sunday 16 July 2023 23:30 , Holly Hales

British sun lovers can get slightly excited for a week of some sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures.

The next seven days will bring both showers and warmer temperatures, according to the Met Office.

The mercury is expected to remain in the low 20Cs with London’s temperature to stay between 20C and 24C through the week.

However, full blown hot weather isn’t expected to return until mid-August, according to Met Office meterologist Simon Partridge.

“It’s fairly disappointing for the middle of July, nothing particularly warm or sunny,” he told The Mirror.

“At the moment, the main signal on our long-range models is there is a signal for things turning drier and warmer but not until mid-August.”

Mr Partridge said those in certain parts of the country should expect rain on the way.

“The day with the most significant weather is Tuesday, we have an area of low pressure that moves across the UK which will bring some quite heavy rain at times, particularly across central and northern parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with north and south of that a reasonably dry day,” he said.