European Heat Wave Kills Hundreds, Threatens Tourism Revival

Extreme temperatures and devastating droughts across Europe are quickly turning what was supposed to finally be a return to normalcy for the region’s tourist entities into an inferno.

More than 360 people have died in Spain since July 10 in an historic heat wave that has seen temperatures hover around 115 degrees for several days in a row. At least 84 of the deaths have occurred in the last 72 hours, prompting the Spanish government to urge people to limit exposure to the heat and ban some tourist activities like guided walks in Barcelona during the midday hours.

At the Madrid Zoo, several cold-water reptiles have perished, and zookeepers are giving popsicles to many creatures that are refusing to eat due to the extreme conditions that are not expected to let up before the end of the month. Spain already endured an early summer heat wave with 829 people dying between June 11 and 20. Temperatures this time around are expected to be at least two degrees higher.

Susana Vera/Reuters

In Portugal, more than 235 people have died this month from heat-related causes, and temperatures have continued to climb. Wildfires across the regions have led to the evacuation of several tourist camping and outdoor recreational areas that were booked for the entire summer, sending the travel industry into chaos, according to the government.

The Italian government has called a national emergency along the River Po, which cuts across northern Italy and is so low people can walk across it at certain points. The drought has also led to extreme water restrictions, including turning off ornamental fountains in Milan and restricting hair dressers from double shampooing clients to save water. In southern Italy, droughts have sparked wildfires, including several devastating blazes within Rome’s city limits in the last two weeks.

Isabel Infantes/Reuters

In the U.K., where summers are often disappointingly gray and air conditioning is rare, people were told to avoid alcohol and stay inside over the weekend as temps there are set to top 104 degrees. The Met Office issued a red warning for London, Manchester and York until Tuesday, warning that Britons “are not adapted to what is coming.”

The never-before-used weather red alert signals a danger to life or risk of serious illness to the general population due to extreme heat. “Population-wide adverse health effects are likely to be experienced, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life,” the Met Office said in a statement Saturday.“Significantly more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers leading to increased risk of water safety incidents.”

Fires are also raging across the South of France and Greek islands, complicating travel and isolating some of the region’s beloved summer getaway spots.

National weather agencies across the affected region warn that it may be another week before temperatures start to return to normal.