Temperatures in parts of southern Europe soared above 40 degrees Celsius on Saturday, as the Netherlands celebrated the arrival of summer after months of record rainfall.
Warm air from Africa has brought scorching heat to southern Spain, with temperatures in the Andalusian city of Seville reaching over 40 degrees on Friday, according to the national weather service (AEMET).
The air was also warm and oppressive in the northeastern city of Zaragoza, where AEMET warned that temperatures there could reach 44 degrees on Saturday.
In Italy, the Health Ministry on Saturday issued the highest heat alert level for 11 major cities, down from 17 levels on Friday.
A high pressure area has been bringing scorching heat to the country for several days, while high humidity is making the problems worse.
Further east in Greece, many regions have been hit by heat and forest fires.
The capital Athens has seen temperatures above 30 degrees for the past 10 days and nights. The constant heat can be tiring for the human body.
However, not all countries groaned under the heat on Saturday.
In the Netherlands, a three-day heat wave has provided much-needed warmth and sunshine, following record rainfall in recent months.
According to the National Weather Service, the country has had “a very wet spring, and the winter and fall before that.”
The 12 months from June 2023 to 2024 were in fact the wettest one-year period ever measured in the Netherlands.
However, the higher temperatures will not last. Weather experts predict that it will become cooler again on Sunday.
