In the city of Syracuse on the island of Sicily, a record European temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius was recorded. The peak of the African anticyclone, which hit southern Italy the hardest, will be on Thursday.
There has never been such a high temperature in Europe. At 13:14 local time, the thermometer near Syracuse reached 48.8 degrees Celsius. The record must be confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization.
The previous achievement was in Athens in 1997 at 48 degrees Celsius.
The island of Sicily is characterized by hot summers, but what happened for almost a month is much more than ever. Syracuse Mayor Francesco Italy called the situation unusual and added that he was glad that no one was affected by the record temperature. He is worried about the heat, “which is arming the poles because the fires are destroying the local ecosystem, one of the richest and most valuable in Europe.”
During an emergency, Civil Protection Service volunteers patrol the area and distribute water to the elderly and children in public places.