Record-breaking heat wave strikes multiple regions in the world this week

Sarah Gambles
·2 min read
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A digital billboard displays an unofficial temperature, Monday, July 17, 2023, in downtown Phoenix.
A digital billboard displays an unofficial temperature, Monday, July 17, 2023, in downtown Phoenix. | Matt York, Associated Press

Sweltering temperatures are striking multiple areas in the world this week. The heat doesn’t appear to be letting up anytime soon, causing concerns for summer travel and activities.

Here are some of the areas making headlines for record-breaking heat.

Heat wave gripping Europe isn’t stopping tourists

Europe is being hit particularly hard with recent summer heat waves, which have happened at a time when more visitors are visiting there than ever before, with bookings for the summer at higher levels than pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, per Reuters.

The Italian island of Sardinia is expected to hit 117 degrees Tuesday, getting close to Europe’s all-time high record, according to The Washington Post.

One tourist collapsed in front of the Acropolis in Athens, and following the incident, “European officials have taken measures to try to shield visitors from the extreme weather,” The New York Times reported.

July and August are typically the peak months of tourism travel in Europe, but reports say “the season has started stretching into April, May, September and October.” Last year, more than 61,000 people in Europe died due to heat-related causes, per the Times.

Multiple states in the US are under heat alerts this week

A total of 14 states are under heat advisories and excessive heat watches or warnings. Phoenix will likely hit “a record-tying 18th consecutive day” at 110 degrees or higher, and there have been “12 confirmed heat related deaths recorded in Maricopa County so far this year as of the first week of July,” CNN reported.

“The heat is taking a major toll,” Valleywise Health Medical Center emergency room doctor Frank LoVecchio told CNN. “The hospital has not been this busy with overflow since a few peaks in the COVID pandemic.”

The heat is also gripping California, causing cancellations of horse races slated for the opening weekend of the California State Fair and prompting officials to urge Californians to seek shade and stay inside, CBS News reported.

Flagstaff, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Salt Lake City hit calendar day record highs, missing all-time highs by just one degree, per The Washington Post.

Texas will likely see triple-digit temperatures for at least the next 10 days, and concerns about the state’s power grid system have grown since a severe winter storm caused it to fail in 2021. So far, it has remained stable, but the Electric Reliability Council of Texas will continue monitoring conditions, according to Newsweek.