https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/europe-heat-wave-brings-concern-older-adults-homeless-79455026 ABC News Video Live Shows Coronavirus [ ][SUBMIT] LOG IN Interest Successfully Added We'll notify you here with news about Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? [ ]OffOn High heat: Spain clocks prelim record of 47.2 C (116.96 F) Spain has set a new provisional heat record of 47.2 degrees Celsius (116.96 Fahrenheit) in Montoro, Cordoba, in the southern Andalusia region By JENNIFER O'MAHONY Associated Press August 14, 2021, 8:32 PM * 5 min read Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this article [WireAP_ade] 0:51 Wildfires raging in Greece amid record heat wave Greece is facing what has been described as its worst heat wave in more than three decades. The Associated Press MADRID -- Spain set a new provisional heat record of 47.2 degrees Celsius (116.96 Fahrenheit) on Saturday as Southern Europe sweltered under a relentless summer sun. Italy put 16 cities on red alert for health risks and Portugal warned 75% of its regions that they faced a "significantly increased risk" of wildfires. Data from Spain's State Meteorological Agency said the potential new record was recorded at Montoro, Cordoba, at 5:10 p.m. If confirmed, that would exceed the country's previous record of 46.9 degrees Celsius (116.42 F), set nearby in July 2017. The high heat comes only days after Sicily reported a temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.84 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, which is also awaiting verification and would be the highest ever recorded in Europe. Europe's current heat record came in 1977 when Athens hit 48.0 Celsius (118.4 F). In the southern Spanish province of Granada, where the mercury rose to 45.4 Celsius (113.7 F), few people ventured outside. Those who did sought shade and stopped to take photos of public thermometers displaying the rocketing temperatures. Ice cream parlors did a brisk trade and some restaurants installed sprinklers to spray mists of water over their guests. Miriam Garcia, a student, wished she hadn't braved the heat. "It is very hot, we have to drink water and put on sun cream all the time, stopping to have a drink at a bar every so often," she said. "It would be better to be at home than in the street, it's so hot!" Dominic Roye, a climate scientist at the University of Santiago de Compostela, said the hot air from the Sahara Desert that has brought days of heat and fueled hundreds of wildfires across Mediterranean nations shows no signs of ending anytime soon. "The heat wave we are experiencing now is very extreme and a lot of people are saying that it's normal, as we are in summer. But it's not, not this hot," Roye said. The World Meteorological Organization said temperatures being recorded in the Mediterranean region go well beyond the typical hot, dry August weather and instead "are extreme, and what we might expect from climate change. " With night-time temperatures forecast to exceed 25 degrees Celsius (77 F) in much of Spain, Roye worried about residents who cannot afford air conditioning and other vulnerable people, like the homeless or outdoor workers. Spain's State Meteorological Agency noted that 24 heat waves have been recorded over the last decade, twice the number in each of the previous three decades. "It is important to stay in cool places and to stay hydrated, and to special attention to babies and elderly, vulnerable or otherwise dependent people. Extreme precautions should be taken to avoid starting forest fires,'' said Ruben del Campo, spokesman for the Spanish meteorological service. Elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal's government placed 14 of the country's 18 districts on a state of alert through Monday night due to the "significantly increased risk" of wildfires, as temperatures were forecast to surpass 40 degrees Celsius. That would still fall short of Portugal's highest ever recorded temperature of 47.3 degrees Celsius (117.1 F) in the inland Alentejo region in 2003. Italians sought respite at the sea and in the mountains from the aptly named Lucifer anti-cyclone that was bringing hot air from Africa during Italy's peak summer holiday weekend. Authorities raised concerns about older adults and other people at risk as they expanded heat warnings to 16 cities. Temperatures in Italy rose as high as 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F) in Rome, Florence and Bologna, all places that the Health Ministry put on red alert. High temperatures were forecast to continue through Sunday, the traditional Ferragosto holiday on the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary, which marks the annual summer holiday exodus from Italian cities. In Rome, drinking fountains provided relief, while authorities kept tourists away from ornamental fountains like the famed Trevi Fountain, fearing imitators of Anita Ekberg's soaking in "La Dolce Vita." "I put my head under the water at each fountain, drinking a lot, staying in the shade as much as I can,'' said Alessia Pagani, who was visiting from the northern city of Brescia. Storms in the north were forecast to bring the first signs of relief starting Monday. "More than anything else, fresh air from the Atlantic will bring a coolness and greater ventilation that will sweep away the humidity and make the air much more breathable,'' Lt. Col. Filippo Petrucci of the Italian air force's weather service told RAI state TV. The heat wave has aggravated wildfires that have consumed forests in southern Italy, Greece, Turkey and North Africa. Across the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa has been sizzling for days. Algeria's National Office of Meteorology issued a special bulletin on Saturday saying temperatures in numerous regions across the north were above 44 C (115 F) with spikes up to 47 C (116.6 F), the online TSA news agency reported. Climate scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms. -------- Colleen Barry in Milan, Fanuel Morelli in Rome, Elaine Ganley in Paris and Helena Alves in Lisbon contributed. ------ Follow AP's coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/ climate-change Comments (0) Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this article --------------------------------------------------------------------- ABC News --------------------------------------------------------------------- Top Stories [yH5BAEAAAA] Mom shot dead by toddler during Zoom call, police say 1 hour ago [yH5BAEAAAA] 3-year-old girl fatally shot by 5-year-old Aug 14, 11:52 AM [yH5BAEAAAA] 5 key things to know about the delta variant Aug 13, 5:01 AM [yH5BAEAAAA] Afghanistan updates: Biden sends more US troops as Taliban advances on Kabul 2 hours ago [yH5BAEAAAA] 3-year-old missing from Pennsylvania camping spot Aug 14, 1:16 PM Top Stories [yH5BAEAAAA] Afghanistan updates: Biden sends more US troops as Taliban advances on Kabul 2 hours ago [yH5BAEAAAA] 3-year-old missing from Pennsylvania camping spot Aug 14, 1:16 PM [yH5BAEAAAA] 27 vaccinated people on board Carnival Cruise test positive for COVID-19 Aug 14, 8:42 AM [yH5BAEAAAA] 3-year-old girl fatally shot by 5-year-old Aug 14, 11:52 AM [yH5BAEAAAA] Florida mother fatally shot by toddler while on Zoom call 2 hours ago Top Stories [yH5BAEAAAA] Afghanistan updates: Biden sends more US troops as Taliban advances on Kabul 2 hours ago [yH5BAEAAAA] 3-year-old missing from Pennsylvania camping spot Aug 14, 1:16 PM [yH5BAEAAAA] US sends 3,000 troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate personnel from embassy Aug 12, 5:03 PM [yH5BAEAAAA] 27 vaccinated people on board Carnival Cruise test positive for COVID-19 Aug 14, 8:42 AM [yH5BAEAAAA] 3-year-old girl fatally shot by 5-year-old Aug 14, 11:52 AM Top Stories [yH5BAEAAAA] Afghanistan updates: Biden sends more US troops as Taliban advances on Kabul 2 hours ago [yH5BAEAAAA] 3-year-old missing from Pennsylvania camping spot Aug 14, 1:16 PM [yH5BAEAAAA] 27 vaccinated people on board Carnival Cruise test positive for COVID-19 Aug 14, 8:42 AM [yH5BAEAAAA] 5 key things to know about the delta variant Aug 13, 5:01 AM [yH5BAEAAAA] US sends 3,000 troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate personnel from embassy Aug 12, 5:03 PM ABC News Live ABC News Live 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events ABC News Network Privacy Policy Your CA Privacy Rights Children's Online Privacy Policy Interest-Based Ads About Nielsen Measurement Terms of Use Do Not Sell My Info Contact Us Copyright (c) 2021 ABC News Internet Ventures. 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