Greece closed the ancient Acropolis during the hottest part of the day today to protect tourists, while southern Europe suffers from a severe heat wave and more than 100 million Americans also faced an extended period of hot weather, reports Reuters today.
The European Space Agency (ESA), whose satellites monitor land and sea temperatures, warned that Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland were facing extreme conditions.
Next week's temperatures could break the current European record of 48,8 degrees Celsius set on the Italian island of Sicily in August 2021.
Italian meteorologists have named the next phase of the European heat wave "Charon" - a reference to the ferryman of the souls of the dead in Greek mythology.
This week's "Kerber," named after the three-headed dog of the underworld, succeeds.
The world recorded its hottest day on record last Sunday, and scientists blamed a combination of long-term global warming caused by greenhouse gases with a short-term boost to El Niño, a regular pattern of warm weather that originates in the Pacific.
Death, burns and dehydration
In many places in the southwestern United States, where hot summers are the norm, extreme temperatures that could break records are forecast in the coming days.
The city of Phoenix, Arizona has already had 15 days in a row with temperatures exceeding 43,3 Celsius, and mobile clinics are treating homeless people suffering from third-degree burns and severe dehydration.
The impact of extreme summer heat has been brought into focus by a study this week that says as many as 61.000 people may have died in extreme heat across Europe last summer.
Joan Ballester, a professor at the Institute of Global Health in Barcelona, said France had learned lessons from the deadly 2003 heat wave that countries such as Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal could follow.
"There are measures that are relatively inexpensive, such as, for example, the coordination of public entities that also carry out a census of the vulnerable population," said Balester, co-author of this week's study.
"But there are much more expensive measures, such as, for example, the redesign of cities to improve living conditions," she told Reuters.
Acropolis, not now
In Athens, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, authorities closed the Acropolis hill, home to the Parthenon temple visited by millions of tourists every year, from noon to 17 p.m.
Huge crowds had earlier formed long lines in the heat to enter the site, many wearing hats and mingling, others drinking water and carrying umbrellas.
The hill becomes especially stifling due to its altitude and lack of shade.
One woman who was sitting on the ground was helped by paramedics after she passed out.
Some were transferred from the Acropolis in golf carts to wheelchairs.
Greece's civil protection ministry warned of the risk of forest fires in five areas and told people to avoid burning weeds for fear of starting fires.
Forest fires also affected parts of Croatia near the Adriatic coast.
Doctors have warned that the most vulnerable are poor, elderly people with existing health problems.
"They suffer from heart problems, chronic bronchitis, strokes, kidney failure," said Angel Abad of the sustainable development office at Madrid's La Paz hospital, according to Reuters.
"Most have a low socio-economic background and we know that in these cases people who do not have air conditioning are more vulnerable. They face a higher risk and a higher mortality upon arrival in the emergency department," added Abad, a physician and public health specialist.
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