Parts of southern Europe could see temperatures exceed 50C this summer or next, prompting experts to urge British holidaymakers to reconsider their travel plans or prepare for spending vacations indoors. The warning comes as record-breaking heat continues to scorch the Mediterranean region.
Record-Breaking Heat and Wildfires
Large areas of Spain have already endured temperatures of 44C in recent days, fueling wildfires across Spain and France that have forced thousands to evacuate. Scientists say this extreme heat may only be the beginning, with even hotter conditions possible in the near future.
Professor Bill McGuire, Emeritus Professor of Geophysical & Climate Hazards at University College London, warned that 50C could be exceeded. “It would be no surprise if 50C was exceeded, either later this summer or next year, when the heating impact of the unprecedented El Niño building in the Pacific will be at its greatest,” he said.
Impact on Holidaymakers
Professor McGuire advised travelers to the Mediterranean to be ready to spend far more time indoors than planned. “I wouldn’t say that they would be a total write-off, but I think holidaymakers will need to be prepared to spend a lot of time in air-conditioned hotel rooms, due to it simply being too hot to do anything outside,” he told the Daily Mail.
The highest air temperature ever officially recorded in Europe is 48.8C, set in Sicily in 2021. The previous record of 48C was recorded in Elefsina and Athens in 1977.
Dangerous Heat in Spain and Portugal
Professor Hanna Cloke, Regius Professor of Meteorology and Climate Science at the University of Reading, said parts of Spain and Portugal could see temperatures in the high 40s. “Temperatures in the high 40s are possible in the hottest parts of Spain and Portugal. And where humidity is high it can feel even hotter than that, well above what the thermometer says. That’s the kind of heat that kills,” she warned.
She urged holidaymakers to take extra care, especially the elderly and vulnerable. “The old and vulnerable need to be very careful; keeping out of the sun and drinking plenty of water, as they can easily suffer and become ill in 40C+ temperatures,” she added.
Climate Change Driving Extreme Heat
Professor McGuire stated there is “no doubt whatsoever” that climate change is driving the extreme heat. “Europe is heating faster than any other continent as we continue to add more than 40 billion tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere every year – equivalent to the weight of 800,000 Titanics,” he said.
He noted that Europe’s average temperature is now more than 2°C hotter than 100 years ago, with high temperature extremes rising even faster. “Heatwaves are getting hotter and longer, and taking many thousands of lives every year. But this isn’t the new normal, this is just the beginning. Summers across the Mediterranean region are just going to keep on getting hotter as long as we continue to do next to nothing in terms of reining in carbon emissions,” he concluded.
