Greece faces hottest July weekend in 50 years, while record US heatwave is set to get even worse

ATHENS - Greece on Saturday faced its hottest July weekend in 50 years, with temperatures forecast to soar above 40 deg C, while a record-breaking heatwave stretching across the southern United States is set to see the mercury rising further in the coming days.

Tens of millions of people in the Northern Hemisphere have been suffering through intense heat this summer as the world appears headed for its hottest July on record.

As temperature records hit new highs, experts have pointed the finger at climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels. They say global warming is key to the destructive weather the world is experiencing.

In southern US, about 80 million Americans are sweltering in temperatures of 41 deg C and above this weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

The country’s worst heatwave of up to 46 deg C is forecast for Phoenix, Arizona, which has seen record-breaking temperatures of above 43 deg C three weeks in a row.

There were hellish scenes in the city on Thursday, when a fierce blaze erupted at a propane business near the international airport, sending tanks exploding into the air.

“Unfortunately, on a hot day like this, these propane tanks with that expansion of heat, they literally become missiles,” Fire Captain Rob McDade told KPHO television station, adding that the tanks can be propelled as far as 450m.

Tourists have been flocking to Death Valley National Park, which straddles the border between California and Nevada, in order to post selfies with a temperature display outside the visitor centre.

Many are hoping to see it break a world record of 56.7 deg C, which was set in July 1913 but was likely the result of a faulty measurement, according to several meteorologists.

Hottest absolute month

Regardless, July 2023 is on track to be the hottest absolute month – not only since records began, but also in “hundreds, if not thousands, of years”, said Dr Gavin Schmidt, leading Nasa climatologist.

The effects cannot be attributed solely to the El Nino weather pattern, he added.

El Nino is associated with the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

Dr Schmidt said the trend of extreme heat was expected to persist, “and the reason... is because we continue to put greenhouse gases into the atmosphere”.

Greece, which has been battling dozens of forest fires, warned people not to venture out unnecessarily due to the baking heat.

Firefighters faced up to 79 forest fires across the country, with their spokesman Vassilios Vathrakoyannis saying Greece would be on a state of alert through the weekend.

The exceptional temperatures also mean key tourist sites such as the Acropolis will be closed during the hottest part of the day.

“This weekend risks being the hottest registered in July in the past 50 years,” said Mr Panagiotis Giannopoulos, meteorologist with state broadcaster ERT.

“Athens is going to have temperatures above 40 Celsius for six to seven days, through to the end of July.”

Such a prolonged spell of scorching temperatures is exceptional for the Greek capital.

Sunday is likely to see the city labour under temperatures as high as 44 deg C, with the central region of Thessalia enduring temperatures of up to 45 deg C.

A 46-year-old man was reported to have succumbed to heatstroke on the central Greek island of Evia.

Mr Yannis Kallianos, meteorologist with private broadcaster Mega, spoke of an “interminable and powerful heatwave”.

“According to latest forecasts, the heatwave could last until next Thursday or Friday,” Mr Kallianos warned, adding that strong northerly winds could also spark fires.

Greece is just one of several countries battling a prolonged spell of extreme heat around the globe recently. AFP