As summer kicks off, scorching heat is already jeopardizing vacations in some popular tourist destinations. In Greece, authorities have begun closing popular tourist sites, including the famous Acropolis in Athens.
Meanwhile, the Greek island of Rhodes is facing extreme temperatures along with an earthquake. This is the same Rhodes where last summer’s tourist season was interrupted by massive wildfires caused by intense heat. This year, tourists whose vacations were disrupted last year were offered a free return trip. However, with meteorologists predicting similar extreme heat in Europe as last year, there is a risk that travelers in Rhodes might again miss out on a full vacation experience.
Cyprus, considered the sunniest place in Europe, is also suffering. Near the resort town of Paphos, a wave of wildfires broke out due to the heat. Flames have also engulfed a resort village in Turkey’s Antalya province, where temperatures have approached 40 degrees Celsius.
In contrast, heavy rains in parts of Spain have destroyed crops in Murcia and disrupted some flights to the popular tourist island of Mallorca. Last month, Todd Crawford, vice president of meteorology at Atmocultural G2, predicted in a comment to The New York Times that temperatures across Europe in 2024 would match those of the summer of 2022, the hottest ever recorded on the continent.
He suggested that July and August would be particularly hot on the continent, which is warming faster than anywhere else. Find out cool destinations for your summer vacation in 2024.
According to the Mirror, citing climatologists, the planet will continue to be battered by extreme conditions, with waves of scorching heat alternating with sharp cold spells and severe hurricanes.
