Anupama Nair
The most intense heatwave of the year is underway across South Eastern Europe, with the highest temperatures between 42- 45°C recorded from southern Italy, Greece and western Turkey over July and August. As we head into a new month, the heatwave is expected to intensify even more and may challenge the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe. The worst heat has developed across southern Italy, Greece, and Turkey, as well as surrounding countries like Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, southern Serbia, and Bulgaria.
The temperatures observed during a heatwave are typically well above normal and often break all the existing records, as it happened several times this year already. The ongoing weather pattern across the southeastern part of Europe is forecast to continue through August, and extend the most intense heatwave of 2021 even further. Not a single cloud was there to limit the extreme heating from the Sun. The minimum temperature recorded was around 35 °C.
Strong and occasionally intense heatwaves are not unusual in Europe, if we just remember the historic heat in western Europe in 2019 or similar in the past. The ongoing heatwave in the southern Balkan peninsula, especially in Greece, is the worst in recent years. The previous time it was this hot in Greece was in July 2017 when Heraklion, the gateway to Crete, recorded 45.9°C, which was the highest temperature recorded in Greece since 2004.
The all-time highest temperature in Greece is 48.0°C in Athens and Elefsina, more than 40 years ago and Greece is the hottest country in Europe followed by Portugal with 47.4°C. Spain is the next hottest country with 47.3°C. Italy and Sicily is not far behind.
“Weather patterns over the whole northern Hemisphere have shown an unusual planetary wavy pattern this summer. This has brought unprecedented heat, droughts, cold and wet conditions in various places. The connection of this large-scale disturbance of summer season with the warming of Arctic and the heat accumulation in the ocean needs to be investigated,” said Omar Baddour, a spokesperson of WMO.
Brazil is experiencing one of the worst droughts in recorded history. The authorities in Brazil have declared ‘draught emergency’ for the Paraná Basin and all sectors affected by the drought in the region until November 2021. In the continent of Africa, South Madagascar is experiencing its worst drought in four decades. Floods have been reported across several Asian and European countries. I am thinking of the prophecy of Nostradamus, who declared 2021 as a ‘year of draught and floods’.
It is important to note that our cells start to die off at temperatures of around 41°C to 45°C but, it’s sometimes possible to survive higher temperatures as long as we stay at home in the comfort of our air conditioners and keep ourselves hydrated.
So, for sure, summer is not an ideal time to visit Europe or North America anymore. All I can say is if we do not control global warming, temperatures will become unbearable by the end of the century. So let us do our bit to keep our precious planet cool and cozy.
