Europe continues to bake during heatwave, with 17 countries under high-temperature alerts
From CNN's Robert Shackelford
The heatwave impacting southern Europe continues into this week.
Europe has 17 nations under alerts for high temperatures. The bulk of the heat is currently impacting the Balkan Peninsula, southern Italy and Spain. Here are some forecasts for notable cities across southern Europe:
Madrid will see temperatures returning to the lower 30s Celsius (high 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit) by the end of the week. Temperatures will begin to rise again by the end of the weekend before potentially returning to the lower 30s early next week.
Rome recorded a record high for the city on Tuesday, at 41.8 degrees Celsius (about 106 degrees Fahrenheit). Temperatures are expected to return to closer to average through the week and remain consistent into the weekend.
Milan's final day of mid-30s Celsius is Wednesday before showers and storms move in and bring the temperatures down to the lower 30s and upper 20s through early next week.
Athens will see its temperatures slowly intensify through the week. The high is in the upper 30s Celsius Wednesday before rising to the lower 40s through the weekend.
Europe storms: The clash between the record heat across southern Europe and the cooler air across central and northern Europe has created a threat for severe storms across the boundary between the air masses on Wednesday.
An "extremely severe" risk of severe storms, or a level 3 of 3, has been issued for parts of central Europe, according to the European Storm Forecast Experiment (ESTOFEX). The level 3 has been issued across parts of Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and northeastern Italy. The main threats are very large hail, damaging winds and isolated very heavy precipitation.
15 min ago
Amazon sales of air conditioners increased 248% over the past month
From CNN's Nathaniel Meyersohn
Consumers are snapping up air conditioners, ice makers, pool floats and other goods to help them cool down in response to the brutal heat wave in the United States.
On Amazon, sales of air conditioners increased 248% during the 30 days ending July 14, according to data from Jungle Scout, a data and analytics platform for Amazon sellers. Sales for fans grew 60%.
Searches on Amazon for “single room AC units” and “portable misting fans” also spiked triple digits during the period, according to Jungle Scout.
On Wednesday morning, a sun shade for car windshields was listed as the best-selling product on Amazon’s automotive page.
Lightweight and cooling bed sheets were the best sellers for Amazon’s home and kitchen department, and a hammock pool float topped the charts on Amazon’s toys and games page.
It’s the latest example of how climate change and extreme weather patterns have impacted consumer purchases.
Residents warned to stay off roads following catastrophic flooding in parts of Kentucky county
From CNN's Tina Burnside, Monica Garrett and Michelle Watson
The Graves County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky has warned residents to stay off the roadways as flash flooding "like many have never seen" is occurring across the area.
In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office called the flood event "catastrophic," stating that many roads were impassable due to flood waters.
Heavy rainfall across the area has resulted in life-threatening flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service. The region has received between 5 and 7 inches of rain, resulting in several water rescues early Wednesday morning.
Graves County is located about 30 miles south of Paducah, Kentucky.
A local church in Mayfield, Kentucky, has opened its doors as a shelter.
"We have been contacted by the pastor of His House Ministires (sic) this morning advising that they have opened their church for anyone that needs a place to shelter due to the flooding," Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden said in a Facebook post Wednesday. "We would also ask those that do not have to be out, please stay home. Many roads have been washed out, many cars have driven into water and drowned out."
The forecast: Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue across western Kentucky through the morning over the same areas that are already experiencing significant flash flooding. An additional 3 to 5 inches of rain is possible, which will exacerbate any ongoing flooding issues from overnight rains.
A Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall was issued by the Weather Prediction Center for western Kentucky and northern Tennessee for the first half of Wednesday where the heaviest additional rain is expected. Flash flood watches remain in place until 10 a.m. local time for a larger area, covering parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, including Paducah and Nashville.
In addition to heavy rain, storms can also be severe. A thunderstorm watch is in effect until 10 a.m. local time from eastern Missouri to western Tennessee. Scattered damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph and isolated large hail over an inch is possible.
27 min ago
Here's where heat, flooding and air quality alerts are in place in the US on Wednesday
From CNN's Robert Shackelford
In the US on Wednesday, heat continues across southern Florida, the Southern Plains and the Southwest, while smoke from western Canada wildfires slightly improves but remains across the eastern US.
Heat: More than 70 million people are under heat alerts from Florida to California. There have been more than 1,800 record high temperatures in the US so far this month and more than 26,000 record high temperatures in the US this year, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are more than 170 potential temperature records (both high and low temperature records) that could be broken through Saturday.
Miami has reported 38 consecutive days where the heat index has exceeded 100 degrees. The city has also reported 17 consecutive days where the heat index has exceeded 105 degrees, which is a record.
El Paso, Texas, has had 33 straight days of 100-degree-plus high temperatures.
Phoenix has set a new record after experiencing 19 consecutive days with the high temperature exceeding 110 degrees. The city also set a daily record on Tuesday, reaching 118 degrees.
Air quality: Canadian wildfire smoke has improved slightly, triggering air quality alerts for nine states across the eastern US. Air quality alerts have been allowed to expire in most major cities across the eastern US at this time, but there are still over 10 million people under air quality alerts and more alerts could be added through the day.
A large swath of the eastern US currently has an Air Quality Index in the "moderate" range, which is a level 2 of 6. Pockets of "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range, which is a level 3 of 6, are also scattered around the eastern US.
Flooding: More than 3 million people across parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana and Illinois are under flood watches until Wednesday morning. Parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri saw preliminary radar estimates of 1-3 inches with isolated amounts across Kentucky exceeding 4 inches. A slight risk for excessive rainfall will remain across Tennessee and Kentucky on Wednesday.
45 min ago
Greece battles large wildfires for a 3rd day in a row as temperatures are expected to rise
From CNN's Chris Liakos
Large wildfires continue to rage across Greece for a third consecutive day, as the country’s meteorological service warns of a further increase in temperatures later this week.
The Greek fire service is currently battling three major fires: in the west Attica region near Athens, in the Peloponnese region near the Corinth Canal and on the island of Rhodes.
Firefighters resumed operations with the assistance of aircraft and helicopters on Wednesday morning trying to contain the fire in the Attica region, which broke out late Monday in the area of Dervenchoria and has since spread extensively threatening the residential areas of Mandra and Megara, destroying land and burning down houses and cars.
Large efforts are also concentrated near the seaside town of Loutraki in the Peloponnese after flames rekindled overnight due to the strong winds. Firefighting forces worked through the night to keep the fire from reaching the local refineries. Since Monday, authorities have ordered nearby areas to evacuate as a precaution.
As a result of the two fires, there have been temporary road closures while some areas are facing electricity cuts.
In Rhodes, three villages – including a hotel – with population of around 1,000 people were ordered to evacuate as firefighters are battling a third major front there that broke out yesterday, according to the fire service.
“We remain on high alert,” said Greek Fire Service spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis on Wednesday during a press briefing, adding that the risk of new wildfires across many parts of the country remains “very high.”
On Wednesday, the Greek meteorological service (EMY) warned that temperatures will rise further from Thursday before dropping slightly on Monday.
According to EMY, temperatures are expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) over the weekend in some parts of the country.
The European Union is sending further assistance to Greece as the country continues to battle large wildfires, the EU said in a press release Wednesday.
“The EU is deploying 4 Canadair firefighting planes from France and Italy together with 3 firefighting teams from Poland, Romania and Slovakia. This means a total of 220 firefighters and 65 vehicles. In addition, 3 pre-deployed ground firefighting teams from Romania, Bulgaria and Malta are already operating in Greece as a part of the EU's Civil Protection wildfire season preparedness plan,” according to the statement.
According to the EU, Greece activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Tuesday morning.
“We are experiencing a heatwave across southern Europe already causing devastating consequences in Greece, with thousands of hectares burned in a short period of time,” EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said.
52 min ago
It's hot across the US, and forecasts say there's no relief in sight
From CNN's Jennifer Gray
As an unrelenting heat wave continues, millions of people from California to Florida are asking: When will it end?
The long-term forecast looks bleak. For most, the extreme heat will continue for the foreseeable future, with no end in sight for the rest of the month, but there is a brief glimmer of hope for some parts of the country headed into the weekend.
An area from southern Texas to Arizona to southern Florida has had the worst of it — and that will only continue.
Heat dome: An enormous, relentless stubborn ridge of high pressure has trapped air inside in a “heat dome,” resulting in extreme temperatures as the dome parks itself over areas.
The heat will remain until a shift in the weather pattern occurs and either breaks apart the heat dome or moves it out of the country completely. That’s not expected any time soon.
Instead, the dangerous heat will continue through this week, with more records broken each day. More than 1,500 heat records have already been broken this month and another 75-plus could fall by the end of the weekend.
The Desert Southwest and Texas will continue to see daytime highs in the triple digits this week. High temperatures along the Gulf Coast and mid-South will be in the upper 90s for therest of the week, with heat indices as high as 115 degrees. Record-breaking warm low temperatures will provide little relief in what’s typically the coolest time of the day.
Only the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast could see some relief in the coming days as the heat dome shifts back to the west and a cold front advances across the area. By the end of the week, numerous cities will at least temporarily get out of the most intense heat.
Record-breaking heat, floods, wildfires: Catch up on the extreme weather impacting millions across the globe
From CNN staff
Record-high temperatures scorched countries around the world on Tuesday, including Italy and France, while wildfires continue to burn in Greece and Canada.
The extreme heat will also continue for the foreseeable future in the United States. An enormous, relentless stubborn ridge of high pressure has trapped air inside in a “heat dome” resulting in extreme temperatures as the dome parks itself over areas.
Here's what weather conditions are like across the globe:
United States: El Paso, Texas, has been in the triple digits for 33 consecutive days. Phoenix, Arizona, reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) by noon Tuesday, stretching its streak of days at more than 110 degrees to a record 19 days. High ocean temperatures in southeast Florida are putting coral reefs in danger, with some areas reaching more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch said. In addition to the heat, a half dozen extreme rainfall events in other parts of the country have killed at least nine people over the past nine days, and two children are still missing, officials said.
Canada: A 9-year-old boy died last week in British Columbia after having an asthma attack during the ongoing wildfires in Canada. More than 900 wildfires are burning across the country, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre’s website. Parts of many states in the northeastern US, such as New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, are under some sort of air quality alert, according to the National Weather Service.
Italy: Rome registered a record high temperature for the city at 107.2 degrees Fahrenheit (41.8 degrees Celsius), the regional meteorological agency said. The heat wave is the main reason behind a 20% increase in the number of patients visiting emergency hospital rooms in recent days, the country's health minister said, urging people with respiratory problems to avoid going outside.
Greece: Wildfires continue to rage near the capital city of Athens and in other parts of the country. The majority of the fire service is now focusing on a large blaze that broke out late Monday in the area of Dervenochoria, north of Athens, which is still spreading and heading southwest. Resources are being sent to help fight the fires.
France: A total of nine areas in southern France recorded new record-high temperatures on Tuesday, according to the French weather agency Météo France. Officials in Paris said they are closely monitoring what the heat wave may mean for next year’s Olympic Games, calling it “an increasingly central topic.”
India: Waters from India’s flooded Yamuna River reached the compound walls of the iconic Taj Mahal on Tuesday. The river overflowed near the Indian capital of New Delhi, prompting authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people.
Iraq: Temperatures in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and other provinces in the south soared to nearly 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) this week, according to the Iraqi General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring. Baghdad residents say that power cuts have made dealing with the heat more difficult because they desperately need fans and air conditioning.
Looking ahead: The European Union’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has issued a red alert warning for Wednesday. The alert covers "most of Italy, eastern Croatia, southern Spain, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro," the agency said.
The climate crisis: These temperatures are “almost certainly” the warmest temperatures the planet has seen “probably going back at least 100,000 years,” Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at Woodwell Climate Research Center, previously told CNN. Extreme heat occurring in countries across the globe is "dangerous" and a "rapidly growing health risk," warned John Nairn of the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization.
There's no relief in sight from sweltering temperatures for millions around the globe, as record high temperatures are expected to continue into the weekend.
In the United States, more than 70 million people are under heat alerts from Florida to California. Some places, such as Texas and Arizona, have experienced a weeks-long heat streak, with temperatures climbing above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Firefighters in Greece continue to battle wildfires for a third consecutive day, and temperatures are forecast to rise.
The heatwave impacting southern Europe continues into this week.
Europe has 17 nations under alerts for high temperatures. The bulk of the heat is currently impacting the Balkan Peninsula, southern Italy and Spain. Here are some forecasts for notable cities across southern Europe:
Madrid will see temperatures returning to the lower 30s Celsius (high 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit) by the end of the week. Temperatures will begin to rise again by the end of the weekend before potentially returning to the lower 30s early next week.
Rome recorded a record high for the city on Tuesday, at 41.8 degrees Celsius (about 106 degrees Fahrenheit). Temperatures are expected to return to closer to average through the week and remain consistent into the weekend.
Milan's final day of mid-30s Celsius is Wednesday before showers and storms move in and bring the temperatures down to the lower 30s and upper 20s through early next week.
Athens will see its temperatures slowly intensify through the week. The high is in the upper 30s Celsius Wednesday before rising to the lower 40s through the weekend.
Europe storms: The clash between the record heat across southern Europe and the cooler air across central and northern Europe has created a threat for severe storms across the boundary between the air masses on Wednesday.
An "extremely severe" risk of severe storms, or a level 3 of 3, has been issued for parts of central Europe, according to the European Storm Forecast Experiment (ESTOFEX). The level 3 has been issued across parts of Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and northeastern Italy. The main threats are very large hail, damaging winds and isolated very heavy precipitation.
Consumers are snapping up air conditioners, ice makers, pool floats and other goods to help them cool down in response to the brutal heat wave in the United States.
On Amazon, sales of air conditioners increased 248% during the 30 days ending July 14, according to data from Jungle Scout, a data and analytics platform for Amazon sellers. Sales for fans grew 60%.
Searches on Amazon for “single room AC units” and “portable misting fans” also spiked triple digits during the period, according to Jungle Scout.
On Wednesday morning, a sun shade for car windshields was listed as the best-selling product on Amazon’s automotive page.
Lightweight and cooling bed sheets were the best sellers for Amazon’s home and kitchen department, and a hammock pool float topped the charts on Amazon’s toys and games page.
It’s the latest example of how climate change and extreme weather patterns have impacted consumer purchases.
The Graves County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky has warned residents to stay off the roadways as flash flooding "like many have never seen" is occurring across the area.
In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office called the flood event "catastrophic," stating that many roads were impassable due to flood waters.
Heavy rainfall across the area has resulted in life-threatening flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service. The region has received between 5 and 7 inches of rain, resulting in several water rescues early Wednesday morning.
Graves County is located about 30 miles south of Paducah, Kentucky.
A local church in Mayfield, Kentucky, has opened its doors as a shelter.
"We have been contacted by the pastor of His House Ministires (sic) this morning advising that they have opened their church for anyone that needs a place to shelter due to the flooding," Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden said in a Facebook post Wednesday. "We would also ask those that do not have to be out, please stay home. Many roads have been washed out, many cars have driven into water and drowned out."
The forecast: Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue across western Kentucky through the morning over the same areas that are already experiencing significant flash flooding. An additional 3 to 5 inches of rain is possible, which will exacerbate any ongoing flooding issues from overnight rains.
A Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall was issued by the Weather Prediction Center for western Kentucky and northern Tennessee for the first half of Wednesday where the heaviest additional rain is expected. Flash flood watches remain in place until 10 a.m. local time for a larger area, covering parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, including Paducah and Nashville.
In addition to heavy rain, storms can also be severe. A thunderstorm watch is in effect until 10 a.m. local time from eastern Missouri to western Tennessee. Scattered damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph and isolated large hail over an inch is possible.
In the US on Wednesday, heat continues across southern Florida, the Southern Plains and the Southwest, while smoke from western Canada wildfires slightly improves but remains across the eastern US.
Heat: More than 70 million people are under heat alerts from Florida to California. There have been more than 1,800 record high temperatures in the US so far this month and more than 26,000 record high temperatures in the US this year, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are more than 170 potential temperature records (both high and low temperature records) that could be broken through Saturday.
Miami has reported 38 consecutive days where the heat index has exceeded 100 degrees. The city has also reported 17 consecutive days where the heat index has exceeded 105 degrees, which is a record.
El Paso, Texas, has had 33 straight days of 100-degree-plus high temperatures.
Phoenix has set a new record after experiencing 19 consecutive days with the high temperature exceeding 110 degrees. The city also set a daily record on Tuesday, reaching 118 degrees.
Air quality: Canadian wildfire smoke has improved slightly, triggering air quality alerts for nine states across the eastern US. Air quality alerts have been allowed to expire in most major cities across the eastern US at this time, but there are still over 10 million people under air quality alerts and more alerts could be added through the day.
A large swath of the eastern US currently has an Air Quality Index in the "moderate" range, which is a level 2 of 6. Pockets of "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range, which is a level 3 of 6, are also scattered around the eastern US.
Flooding: More than 3 million people across parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana and Illinois are under flood watches until Wednesday morning. Parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri saw preliminary radar estimates of 1-3 inches with isolated amounts across Kentucky exceeding 4 inches. A slight risk for excessive rainfall will remain across Tennessee and Kentucky on Wednesday.
Large wildfires continue to rage across Greece for a third consecutive day, as the country’s meteorological service warns of a further increase in temperatures later this week.
The Greek fire service is currently battling three major fires: in the west Attica region near Athens, in the Peloponnese region near the Corinth Canal and on the island of Rhodes.
Firefighters resumed operations with the assistance of aircraft and helicopters on Wednesday morning trying to contain the fire in the Attica region, which broke out late Monday in the area of Dervenchoria and has since spread extensively threatening the residential areas of Mandra and Megara, destroying land and burning down houses and cars.
Large efforts are also concentrated near the seaside town of Loutraki in the Peloponnese after flames rekindled overnight due to the strong winds. Firefighting forces worked through the night to keep the fire from reaching the local refineries. Since Monday, authorities have ordered nearby areas to evacuate as a precaution.
As a result of the two fires, there have been temporary road closures while some areas are facing electricity cuts.
In Rhodes, three villages – including a hotel – with population of around 1,000 people were ordered to evacuate as firefighters are battling a third major front there that broke out yesterday, according to the fire service.
“We remain on high alert,” said Greek Fire Service spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis on Wednesday during a press briefing, adding that the risk of new wildfires across many parts of the country remains “very high.”
On Wednesday, the Greek meteorological service (EMY) warned that temperatures will rise further from Thursday before dropping slightly on Monday.
According to EMY, temperatures are expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) over the weekend in some parts of the country.
The European Union is sending further assistance to Greece as the country continues to battle large wildfires, the EU said in a press release Wednesday.
“The EU is deploying 4 Canadair firefighting planes from France and Italy together with 3 firefighting teams from Poland, Romania and Slovakia. This means a total of 220 firefighters and 65 vehicles. In addition, 3 pre-deployed ground firefighting teams from Romania, Bulgaria and Malta are already operating in Greece as a part of the EU's Civil Protection wildfire season preparedness plan,” according to the statement.
According to the EU, Greece activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Tuesday morning.
“We are experiencing a heatwave across southern Europe already causing devastating consequences in Greece, with thousands of hectares burned in a short period of time,” EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said.
As an unrelenting heat wave continues, millions of people from California to Florida are asking: When will it end?
The long-term forecast looks bleak. For most, the extreme heat will continue for the foreseeable future, with no end in sight for the rest of the month, but there is a brief glimmer of hope for some parts of the country headed into the weekend.
An area from southern Texas to Arizona to southern Florida has had the worst of it — and that will only continue.
Heat dome: An enormous, relentless stubborn ridge of high pressure has trapped air inside in a “heat dome,” resulting in extreme temperatures as the dome parks itself over areas.
The heat will remain until a shift in the weather pattern occurs and either breaks apart the heat dome or moves it out of the country completely. That’s not expected any time soon.
Instead, the dangerous heat will continue through this week, with more records broken each day. More than 1,500 heat records have already been broken this month and another 75-plus could fall by the end of the weekend.
The Desert Southwest and Texas will continue to see daytime highs in the triple digits this week. High temperatures along the Gulf Coast and mid-South will be in the upper 90s for therest of the week, with heat indices as high as 115 degrees. Record-breaking warm low temperatures will provide little relief in what’s typically the coolest time of the day.
Only the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast could see some relief in the coming days as the heat dome shifts back to the west and a cold front advances across the area. By the end of the week, numerous cities will at least temporarily get out of the most intense heat.
Record-high temperatures scorched countries around the world on Tuesday, including Italy and France, while wildfires continue to burn in Greece and Canada.
The extreme heat will also continue for the foreseeable future in the United States. An enormous, relentless stubborn ridge of high pressure has trapped air inside in a “heat dome” resulting in extreme temperatures as the dome parks itself over areas.
Here's what weather conditions are like across the globe:
United States: El Paso, Texas, has been in the triple digits for 33 consecutive days. Phoenix, Arizona, reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) by noon Tuesday, stretching its streak of days at more than 110 degrees to a record 19 days. High ocean temperatures in southeast Florida are putting coral reefs in danger, with some areas reaching more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch said. In addition to the heat, a half dozen extreme rainfall events in other parts of the country have killed at least nine people over the past nine days, and two children are still missing, officials said.
Canada: A 9-year-old boy died last week in British Columbia after having an asthma attack during the ongoing wildfires in Canada. More than 900 wildfires are burning across the country, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre’s website. Parts of many states in the northeastern US, such as New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, are under some sort of air quality alert, according to the National Weather Service.
Italy: Rome registered a record high temperature for the city at 107.2 degrees Fahrenheit (41.8 degrees Celsius), the regional meteorological agency said. The heat wave is the main reason behind a 20% increase in the number of patients visiting emergency hospital rooms in recent days, the country's health minister said, urging people with respiratory problems to avoid going outside.
Greece: Wildfires continue to rage near the capital city of Athens and in other parts of the country. The majority of the fire service is now focusing on a large blaze that broke out late Monday in the area of Dervenochoria, north of Athens, which is still spreading and heading southwest. Resources are being sent to help fight the fires.
France: A total of nine areas in southern France recorded new record-high temperatures on Tuesday, according to the French weather agency Météo France. Officials in Paris said they are closely monitoring what the heat wave may mean for next year’s Olympic Games, calling it “an increasingly central topic.”
India: Waters from India’s flooded Yamuna River reached the compound walls of the iconic Taj Mahal on Tuesday. The river overflowed near the Indian capital of New Delhi, prompting authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people.
Iraq: Temperatures in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and other provinces in the south soared to nearly 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) this week, according to the Iraqi General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring. Baghdad residents say that power cuts have made dealing with the heat more difficult because they desperately need fans and air conditioning.
Looking ahead: The European Union’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has issued a red alert warning for Wednesday. The alert covers "most of Italy, eastern Croatia, southern Spain, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro," the agency said.
The climate crisis: These temperatures are “almost certainly” the warmest temperatures the planet has seen “probably going back at least 100,000 years,” Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at Woodwell Climate Research Center, previously told CNN. Extreme heat occurring in countries across the globe is "dangerous" and a "rapidly growing health risk," warned John Nairn of the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization.
