The fires broke out as a result of the extreme temperatures, which climbed up to 45 degrees Celsius. Waves of extreme heat have hit many southern countries this summer, including Spain, Italy, and Croatia. Temperatures are rising 20 percent faster in the Mediterranean region than elsewhere in the world. Up to a third of Greece is at risk of becoming a desert, the domestic agriculture ministry estimates.
Latest Temperature Records
A new European temperature record is expected to fall this year. So far, Sicily holds the record at 48.81 degrees Celsius, measured in 2021. The same is true for the rest of the world, where temperatures have also risen above 45 degrees in Mexico, the USA, and China.
The current high temperatures are mainly due to the recurring El Niño phenomenon, which has increased the temperature of the Pacific Ocean. Together with global warming, it will make this year the most likely to be the hottest on record. And according to meteorologists, it gives a hint of what the world is in for in the future.
Climate change is affecting the weather and changing some places beyond recognition. Rising summer temperatures in southern Europe will not only lead to changes in food production, but also to a permanent change in tourist habits. More travellers will choose cooler destinations or holidays in the spring or autumn to avoid extreme heat.
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A 2019 study by a group of Spanish scientists published in the journal Plos One predicted that Madrid’s climate in 2050 will resemble the Moroccan city of Marrakech; London will be more like Barcelona; and Stockholm will resemble Budapest.
The New Normal
This would be a huge shift for European tourism, which last year contributed almost two trillion euros to the regional economy. It would make sharp cuts on the map of travel patterns to the detriment of southern European countries.
“There is still quite a large part of the travel industry that is literally waking up. I don’t think these regions are really ready for it,” Catharina Martínez-Pardo , a partner at Boston Consulting Group who specialises in climate and sustainability in the tourism industry, told Bloomberg.
Holiday destinations such as Estonia, Ireland, and Denmark, as well as the Czech Republic, have seen a sharp rise in popularity among travellers. Travellers are thus looking for less crowded destinations and cooler climates. In Estonia, for example, the average summer temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius, and exceptionally warm days rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius.
