Western European countries are experiencing unprecedented heatwaves for the month of May. Italy, France, and Portugal have reached new temperature records.
In Mora, central Portugal, a new heat record for May was set in this country, with a maximum temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius, compared to 40 degrees Celsius in May 2001.
The record for France was recorded in Angoulême-La Couronne (west) at 37.8 °C.
In Italy, Florence, Bologna, Turin, and Brescia in the north of the country, as well as Rome in the center, have been placed under a red alert, the highest level. However, the heatwave did not deter tourists on the streets of the Italian capital.
Since the beginning of the week, an unprecedentedly early heatwave has been affecting Western Europe, including the United Kingdom, under the influence of a "heat dome," a high-pressure area that blocks warm air coming from North Africa.
This meteorological phenomenon, which has already caused several deaths - directly or indirectly - in France and the United Kingdom, results in temperatures 10-15 degrees above normal values for this time of year. This suffocating heat is accompanied by a deterioration in air quality, leading to episodes of critical ozone pollution, for example in France.
In the United Kingdom, experts advising the government recommend setting "measurable" objectives to reduce the consequences of climate change.
These include setting temperature limits in hospitals, schools, prisons, and businesses, installing cooling and air conditioning systems in buildings, developing more flood protection systems, or increasing water storage capacities.