Travelers to Europe may have been expecting crowded venues, full hotels and worker strikes, as industry experts point to a return in tourism demand that is even above pre-pandemic levels. But recent extreme weather presents another danger for visitors. It’s a summer heat wave that climate researchers say will become longer, more frequent and more intense in Europe.
The rise in temperatures in recent days coincides with a popular time for American travelers to visit Europe, the year’s most popular international destination, industry officials said. Extreme weather has also disrupted travel in the past, and heat can also be deadly, especially in countries that can’t tolerate it. Last summer’s heat wave killed more than 61,000 people in Europe, according to a recent study.
In response to the recent heat wave, European authorities have taken measures to try to protect tourists from extreme weather. After a tourist collapsed in front of the Acropolis in Athens, authorities temporarily closed the site on Friday and Saturday due to the heat. Greek Red Cross volunteers are also handing out free bottles of water to help tourists stay hydrated.
The Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Greece, Italy and Spain on Monday, warning British tourists to keep up to date with local weather information, warning of extreme temperatures and bushfire risk. did.
In Rome, where temperatures were expected to be particularly high on Tuesday and Wednesday, authorities mobilized a task force of workers and volunteers to patrol sites such as the Colosseum and outdoor markets, handing out water and They also discovered people suffering from heat stress. Officials in many European countries have warned people to stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day, and many cities popular with tourists have introduced measures such as cooling stations.
Despite the large number of tourists visiting Europe this summer, travel advisors say there are signs that travel patterns will change as the heatwave continues, and that it is likely to become the norm. Usually the peak of travel is July and August, but the season is starting to spread to April, May, September and October.
Some travelers choose to visit European countries further north, while others plan their itineraries during the cooler hours of the day.
