News Heat wave can raise temperature to 48ºC in Europe and break record

As Europe suffers another heatwave, forecasters say the highest temperature record in the continent’s history can be beaten in the coming days.

The European record is 48 ° C, recorded in July 1977 in Athens. In Brazil, the highest temperature ever registered by the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) was 44.7 ° C, in the city of Bom Jesus (PI), on November 21, 2005.

Temperatures are rising in Spain and Portugal aided by a wave of hot air coming from Africa.
Forecasters say if the heat continues to rise, national temperatures are likely to be broken this weekend – the current hottest day in European history 41 years ago may also lose ground.

Spain’s climate analysis service, for example, has put the country on alert until next Sunday, saying the heat is “especially intense and long-lasting.”

Meteoalarm, the European weather alert group, has already issued a red alert for much of southern Portugal and the province of Badajoz, Spain. This level of alert considers the climate to be dangerous and potentially life threatening.

BBC weather meteorologist Nick Miller says the recent wave may hit record highs and is “potentially dangerous.” According to him, temperatures in the Iberian peninsula may be higher than those recorded in the last 40 years.

The Portuguese record is 47.4ºC in 2013. In Spain, the highest temperature ever recorded was 47.3ºC in July last year.

“Friday and Saturday will probably be the hottest days, and they should break national temperature records,” Mateogroup wrote.

According to meteorologists, temperatures will rise from 45º this Thursday to 47ºC at the weekend. The group said there is a 40 percent chance of the Athens record being equalized this weekend – and 30 percent being beaten.

The strong heat wave hit other countries in Europe, such as France and Norway

European temperature records

Ipma, the Portuguese meteorological service, states that the period of “exceptional heat” is comparable to that of 2003, when there were some records. Even the lowest temperatures, which will occur overnight, should be between 25 and 30ºC.

The strong heat of the Iberian peninsula has been repeated in other parts of Europe.

Because of the heat, Sweden’s highest point, a glacier on the Kebnekaise mountain, is melting several centimeters a day. Scientists monitoring the phenomenon say the glacier will lose its peak heading from the country to another location.

Norway’s road service has asked motorists to watch out for reindeer and sheep that may be sheltering from the heat in tunnels.

Tore Lysberg of the government told Nigeria News news agency that “animals protect themselves in colder places, reindeer as well as sheep shelter in tunnels and shaded areas.” In the country, the temperature reached 31.2ºC on Wednesday.

In Greece, forest fires killed at least 90 people . In Sweden, there were also dozens of fires. Although forest fires are a recurring problem in Europe, heat and dry weather for a prolonged period can lead to a higher incidence of cases.

Researchers say that climate change has made the heat wave twice as long as it should be.

On the other hand, the long and hot summer pressed the German breweries, which sold so much beer to the point of causing shortages of bottles, recovering the negative record of sales last year.

Already in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, extremely low levels of water on the Elbe led to the discovery of grenades and munitions lost from World War II, according to local police. The corporation even warned residents that looking for explosives on the riverbed is “dangerous and forbidden.”