Europe Travel—Current “Pizza Oven” Heatwave Stokes Travel Fears

Parts of Europe are under a second heatwave in two weeks, but rather than being a disastrous inconvenience for travelers, the news that some British people have rushed to travel to Europe in search of this heat, shows how far the dangers are really misunderstood and how far this heat will change the shape of travel to come.

This Heatwave Is Called Charon

The Red Cross said that Europe was in a heatwave hotspot, reporting temperature increases that are faster than the global average. Last week’s heatwave across Europe was called Cerberus but this one is called Charon, named rather ominously after the ferryman who carried souls to the underworld in Greek mythology.

The heatwaves come at a time of peak travel—more planes are expected in Europe’s skies than in 2019 (considered the pre-pandemic benchmark) with many of these travelers from Europe and the U.S.—Sprout Social reported an increase of 4,000% in conversations about summer travel since June 21 on Twitter with conversations about European travel mostly driven by Americans.

Where Are These Europe Hotspots?

Global temperatures hit records this week, with both China and the U.S. (California’s Death Valley) reaching 52 degrees Celsius. Likewise, hot air arriving from Africa is turning European countries (many in the south) into a furnace, something Hannah Cloke, a climate scientist and professor at the University of Reading called similar to “a giant pizza oven”.

So, where are the hotspots? The simple answer might be all over, but in detail, this is what’s currently happening across several parts of Europe:

• European Union’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre issued a red alert warning on Wednesday 19 July covering Italy, eastern Croatia, southern Spain, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro.
• In Greece, firefighters from across Europe are battling a particularly large breakout 50 kilometres from the Acropolis in Athens—a particular worry when the site is receiving 17,000 visitors a day—70% more than last summer, as reported by Lonely Planet. The fire in the Dervenochoria region is still spreading south and thousands of locals and tourists were evacuated from Mandra, a seaside resort.
• In Nîmes, the barometer has reached over 40 degrees Celsius several times this week already. Nine departments across France, notably in the south, are reporting record temperatures and are on emergency alert.
• Rome reported a 20% increase in patients arriving at emergency rooms due entirely to the effects of the severe heat.
• Wildfires caused evacuations on the Swiss island of La Palma with Catalonia, Valencia, Andalucía and the island of Mallorca all under an excessive heat alert.

There are many tips that travelers can use so that the heat affects them a little less than might otherwise be the case, such as booking up excursions in advance (many visits to Europe’s largest tourist sites are being timed to avoid overcrowding in the extreme heat) and visiting at times that are suitable for the heat, such as before 11am.

There Are Already Fears For Next Summer

The extreme heat is something that is worrying officials preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris next summer and how they can possibly prepare for such extreme heat with more than one million more visitors expected than normal. Indeed, in regard to upcoming events and trips, there is already a trend on Twitter, reported by Sprout Social, for conversations discussing summer 2024 travel—under the hashtag #UK/Europe Next Summer.

Chris Hilson, the director of the University of Reading’s Centre for Climate and Justice reported in CNN that these climate disasters can sometimes read like nothing more than an inconvenience to summer holidays. The reality however, is that this is just the beginning and will definitely impact holidays and life in general going forward. In order to cope, neighborhoods need solutions to deal with extreme heat, such as shading and cooling opportunities, in addition to the need required to tackle global warming at national levels.

It was something that The Guardian called a hellish glimpse of the future as it published drone footage of the scale of destruction from one fire in Greece this week. This reality might be something that not all tourists have yet fully realised—British tour operators reported a surge in Britons booking trips to EU countries, looking for sun, when they heard news of the heatwaves in Europe.

These tourists were duly reprimanded by Sean Tipton, a spokesman for Abta, the travel trade body, as he reminded them that European beaches generally clear out during the midday surge in heat and they would be better off if they did the same.