Urgent warning issued to British tourists as thousands flee over 49C heatwave

British tourists heading to southern Europe will face “extreme temperatures”, the Foreign Office has warned.

The Government office is urging holidaymakers to keep a close eye on weather warnings when travelling to Mediterranean countries this week, as a new wave of deadly heat continues to grip the area.

Italy, where the death of at least two people over the past days was linked to the ongoing heatwave, and Greece, where record-breaking temperatures are expected over the next few days, are particular areas of concern for the Foreign Office.

In a travel advice update for Italy, the Foreign Office said: “Extreme temperatures are currently affecting many areas of Italy. For information on hottest areas and how to take care in the heat visit the website of the Italian Ministry of Health (in Italian only) and NHS.”

The department also advised travellers to check the European Meteorological Services website to be aware of any new weather warnings.

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Those visiting Greece, the Foreign Office said, should also monitor local and international weather updates, check with their travel provider and “follow the advice of local authorities at all times”.

Local authorities are pleading with people to be careful when they leave their homes, with Italy’s Health Minister Orazio Schillaci saying on Sunday visiting the Colosseum in Rome when the temperature is 43C is “not advisable”, especially for vulnerable people.

Another concern for the Foreign Office is the risk of wildfires across Europe, heightened by the unbearable heat.

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Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate residences on the weekend in Spain’s La Palma, where at least 20 houses were burnt down, and Turkey’s Canakkale as firefighters tried to contain flames.

This comes as several parts of the continent are facing temperatures well over 40C due to an unforgiving weather system coming from Africa which has been dubbed “Charon”, like the mythological boatman taking souls to Hades.

Italian weather forecaster Meteo.it warned the “exceptionally hot” weather is destined to “further intensify” between Monday and Wednesday, when “new records will likely be reached”. 

The forecaster believes northern regions will enter 40C temperatures while the centre-south will touch 45C.

Italians and tourists on the peninsula won’t find any respite even at night, when low temperatures will be well above 20C.

New weather alerts will likely be issued in Italy over the next few hours, after 16 cities were slapped a red alert for heat over the weekend.

The island of Sicily holds the current European record for heat, marked in August 2021 when the mercury reached 48.8C.

But another island popular with tourists, Sardinia, has been tipped to reach 49C over the next few days.

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