Europe set to get hot again with Greece still battling wildfires
Severe weather events have affected countries from Saudi Arabia to US, India to Brazil
Paris: Temperatures across most of Europe will rise again next week after a brief respite.
In coming days, cooler-than-average weather will bring relief from the recent heat in northwest Europe.
Minimum temperatures in Berlin will drop to 11.5°C (52.7°F) on Wednesday and about 10°C in London later in the week. But hot weather will return next weekend, with the southeast in focus again.
Wildfires are still raging in Greece, where authorities are under pressure to tackle dozens of blazes fueled by strong winds.
Conditions are expected to improve on Monday, with the island of Crete being the only region still on very high fire alert.
Climate change is adding to the effects of extreme weather globally, with 2024 on track to be the hottest year on record.
Severe weather events have affected countries from Saudi Arabia to the US, India to Brazil.
Greece has been at the center of Europe’s heat so far this summer. Firefighters are using planes to try to contain a fire in a forested area on the island of Zakynthos, and a second blaze is still raging in Viotia in the central part of the country.
Warm weather is expected in Germany and Italy next week, with Berlin seen at 28°C and Rome nearing 30°C, according to a report by forecaster Maxar Technologies Inc.
In Switzerland and Italy, storms have caused extensive flooding. The Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta regions in the north of Italy were hit by floods, thunderstorms and landslides over the weekend.
Tourist destinations such as Cogne and Cervinia remained cut off during the nights, according to Ansa newswire.
In the UK, a flood alert issued on Friday by the Environment Agency was still active, indicating high groundwater levels near Henley outside London.
The area remains sensitive to further rainfall and the situation could continue for several weeks.