Ground temperatures in some parts of Spain have reached more than 60 degrees Celsius in a deadly heatwave that is sweeping Europe, satellite records show.

It’s so hot that a heat map highlights scorching temperatures in an even darker red – to black.

Temperature records have been broken in most of the continent, including France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, where a peak of 40C was recorded again on Wednesday.

Sicily and Sardinia are forecast to have temperatures as high as 48 degrees Celsius.

Istanbul’s temperature is 33 degrees Celsius, according to weather data.

Authorities warned citizens over 65, people with high blood pressure and chronic illnesses not to go out unless absolutely necessary.

Greece will close the Acropolis for several hours on Friday to protect visitors to one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites from the heat wave that has engulfed Athens and other countries in Southern Europe.

The Acropolis, home to the Parthenon visited by millions of tourists each year, will be closed from noon to 5 p.m. (09:00 GMT-14:00 GMT) on Friday, authorities said.

Greece’s meteorological service forecast temperatures to peak at 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in Athens by midday, but mercury on the Acropolis Hill overlooking the Greek capital is usually higher due to altitude and lack of shade shady.

Greek Red Cross staff distributed bottles of water to tourists lining up and fanning themselves in the shade of olive trees in front of the entrance to the Acropolis, before the famous monument was temporarily closed.

Southern Europe is sweltering under an intense heatwave, with temperatures warning of record highs in the continent next week, raising concerns about the impact on human health, crops and animals. feed.

A second heatwave is expected to hit Italy next week as Cerberus quickly follows the Cheron heatwave, named after the ferryman to the underworld in Greek mythology.

According to La Repubblica, the heat expected this weekend could drop to 12 degrees Celsius in the following days, especially for Tuscany and Lazio.

Antonio Sanò, founder of iLMeteo.it told the Italian publication that Charon could break many heat records.

As the UK experiences prolonged showers – the Met Office predicts unsettled conditions to continue over the next few days – the Mediterranean region grapples with a heat spike that could hit a new European record. Europe this week.

Temperatures are expected to exceed 40C in parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Türkiye in the next few days.

And in Italy, temperatures could reach 48.8 degrees Celsius, according to the country’s weather agency, as Wednesday’s temperature there stood at 40 degrees Celsius and issued a red alert. for 10 cities, including Rome and Florence.

Towns in Croatia were evacuated on Thursday after wildfires tore through the country due to the Cerberus heat wave.

Pictures show volunteers trying to put out a fire in the seaside town of Grebastica.

Tourists in central Athens gathered under nebulizers and zoo animals in Madrid were fed fruit ice cream on Thursday as southern Europeans suffered a heatwave predicted to worsen much more on weekends.

Temperatures in parts of Mediterranean Europe are forecast to reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) starting Friday.

The high-pressure system, which affects an area across the Mediterranean from northern Africa, was named Cerberus after the three-headed dog in ancient Greek mythology that guarded the portal to the underworld.

Officials in several countries are preparing emergency measures, mobile phone alerts and staffing adjustments.

In Athens and other Greek cities, working hours have been changed for the public sector and many businesses to avoid the midday heat, while air-conditioned areas are open to the public.

Cerberus is being monitored by the European Space Agency, which warns that heatwaves will also be felt in parts of northern Europe.

“Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing a major heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 48 degrees Celsius on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia – possibly hot temperatures. the highest ever recorded in Europe,” the agency said on Thursday.

Parts of the UK are under a yellow weather warning as “unseasonal” strong winds are expected to bring tough weather over the weekend after days of heavy rain.

The first is high winds bringing “potential disruption” to South Wales and South West England, which began on Friday morning and will last until 7pm. The second warning covers eastern parts of England, where there will be an “unseasonal windy day” throughout Saturday.

“Two yellows National severe weather warning for wind has been issued highlighting the potential for impacts such as travel disruptions to South Wales and south-west England on Friday and south and east England on Saturday,” the forecaster said today. Thursday.

Sweltering temperatures in Europe risk a repeat of last year’s prolonged heatwave, when the continent experienced its hottest summer on record.

That heat has led to an onslaught of devastating droughts and raging wildfires, and is fueled by the man-made climate crisis.

This year, the world is heating up even more and El Nino – a cyclical phenomenon – is adding to the heat around the world.

Last year, extreme heat waves contributed to more than 60,000 deaths in Europe by 2022, according to a new report – a much higher number than previous estimates.

Here’s what the report found:

Tourists visiting the Mediterranean are shocked by the sweltering temperatures.

“It’s like being in Africa,” said Balint Jolan, a 24-year-old tourist from Hungary. “It’s not much hotter than it is at home right now, but yeah, that’s tough.”

Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing a major heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 48 degrees Celsius on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia – possibly the hottest. recorded in Europe.

The heat prompted health warnings and advice for travelers with a British citizen fainting in Rome earlier this week. A 44-year-old man was also reported dead in Italy.