coral22

For those doing future planning, this does not seem like it is changing anytime soon.
We have avoided summer travel for awhile, after a miserable July in Rome, but this is very dangerous. And look for rooms with AC.
That picture at the Acropolis looks miserable in any weather, but 100 degrees?!?

https://news.sky.com/story/europe-he...weeks-12920226

Melnq8

Yowsa - all those people, yikes.

Christina

I don't know where you live, but in the US, this isn't shocking given the weather here. Are you aware of the weather in the US? they had heat waves last summer also in Europe and I know they did in 2019 in July also as I was there (I think it was 100 in Paris), a friend of mine lives in Germany and said it was 95-100 for many days in 2022. And she was in the north. I think it reached 105 in Hamburg last July.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_European_heat_waves

annhig

One difference between much of the US and northern Europe is that we don't usually have AC. Some hotels do but not always. Ditto public buildings. Very rarely private dwellings.. And many places in southern Europe can't cope with the demands on the electricity system so if they have AC it becomes useless. The fact that these high temperatures are becoming more common doesn't mean that we are equipped to deal with them.

coral22

Yes, I am aware of the heat in the US, I am living through an extended period of triple digit temperatures here, but we do have air conditioning. We are fortunate.,
I just know many come on this forum for advice on when to travel, and it seems like that is an evolving answer. I would hate to plan an expensive vacation and experience this kind of heat. Stay cool everyone!

Travel_Nerd

It is not unusual for us Californians to experience triple digits multiple days/weeks. But we also go from high AC'ed buildings to our very high AC'ed cars back to a high AC'ed buildings. I had to wear a sweater in the summer inside because they had the AC on so high, but I'm an exception as most of my coworkers complained about being hot while under a vent, but I digress.

But, we're not walking around in it or waiting in line in the sun, nor are we inside a landmark with only rotating fans pushing around hot air. No matter how one is used to heat (and humidity) he/she/they may be, it is different when you're outside in it and for a prolonged period while traveling.

KTtravel

It looks pretty miserable in Rome. Much as love it, I'm glad I'm not there.

Besalu

People, please.... The more we run AC, the more electricity we use; more electricity releases more greenhouse gases, heating the planet and requiring even more AC to stay cool. Of course we don't have AC everywhere in Europe! It is a GLOBAL responsibility to reduce energy expenditure. Is it hot in the summer? Of course! Can you travel anyway? Of course! You just have to do common sense things: avoid excursions in the hours of the sun, take advantage of the early hours of the day and the evenings, look for shady areas, go to places where you can cool off on the hottest days (sea, rivers, lakes ...). Or deseasonalize the holidays. I live in a house in Spain without AC and I have no problems: thick walls, blinds on the windows, cross ventilation and vegetation around.

bilboburgler

Bezalu, nailed it

Can you travel, well yes, but try to offset, try to use the least CO2 generating technology. So train not car, ferry and train not plane etc.

I tend to stay in older buildings when in southern Europe and find that using shutters and doors correctly make up for lack of aircon. it is modern buildings that are useless and need the "thrum" of AC.

bvlenci

I live in Italy, and at the moment , it's about 35C here. We don't have air conditioning. (Well, we have a small unit in our bedroom, but it's on the fritz, and the technician may not get here before October.)

We use fans, we pull down all the shutters while it's still cool inside, and we avoid strenuous activities in the hottest hours.

However, we wouldn't consider visiting archeological sites, or walking for long periods, in this weather. That's an entirely different story.

swandav2000

Exactly, exactly Besalu, bilbo & bvlenci! Though I live in Germany at the foot of the Alps, it still gets to 33 or 34 C some days, and there are forest fires outside of Oberammergau. But my apartment doesn't get hotter than 26.4 C (only at the hottest part of the day) because I open the windows at night & keep the shades, curtains, or shutters closed during the day (there are some funny memes about Germans in dark houses in the summer ...). I have a fan, but I've only used it once thus summer.

Having a hotel on a quiet street so you can open the windows is imperative. Or bring ear plugs -- I never leave home without them.

Using A/C adds literal fuel to the fire.

s

hetismij2

Code red warning for heat in much of Italy today.
The problem is tourists still want to see the sites, and will go out regardless, which means locals have to be out to cater to them and scrape the up when the heat gets them. The sheer number of visitors puts so much strain on the infrastructure using up much valuable water and electricity. There is little natural shade, and plenty of buildings and concrete to act as heat sinks.

They were right to close the Acropolis yesterday and will close it again today. Peoples lives are at risk, maybe not the tourists but those who have to work in the heat to service them. Italy should also close the tourist areas to force people to stay safe.

A big difference with the heat in the US is that generally cities such as Phoenix are not inundated with tourists in the summer adding to the problem. However it won't be long before Phoenix and surrounds are unsustainable as a place to live, proving the idiocy of building a place like that in the middle of a desert.

A/C is not the answer it is a cause.

Even when Cerberus (the current heatwave name in Italy) abates the next, Charon, is waiting in the wings. They have a dark humour these Italian meteorologists.

Besalu

I think that the lives of the tourists at the Acropolis are not in danger because of the heat, but because of being hurt by other tourists....

neckervd

The Acropolis has been temporarily closed last aftenoon by Athens police.

KTtravel

Yes, perhaps the typical travel season really needs to shift but that would mean work schedules and school schedules would also need to be reexamined.

raincitygirl

Very well said. I was recently on a Travel to Italy page on FB where Americans were complaining about the lack of AC in Italy and when I suggested that climate change was very real and it wouldn't be long before the US was going to have to do something about their dependence on freezing cold AC at the first sign of summer I was roundly scoffed at and laughed at and told "that will never happen".

Moderator1

We have deleted a few posts that strayed into the political/advocacy realm.

bilboburgler

It looks like Charon is replacing Cerberus. Looking forward to Amathia.