Travelers to Europe may expect crowded sites, full hotels and labor strikes, as industry experts point to returning tourism demand that will surpass prepandemic levels. But recent extreme weather has suggested another danger for visitors: summer heat waves, which climate researchers say will be longer, more frequent and more intense in Europe.
Rising temperatures in recent days have coincided with a popular time to visit Europe, which industry observers say is the most popular overseas destination for American travelers this year. And while extreme weather has caused travel disruptions in the past, especially in countries unprepared to withstand it, the heat can be deadly: according to a recent study, more than 61,000 people died in last summer’s heat waves in Europe.
In the recent heat wave, European authorities have taken measures to protect visitors from extreme weather. Authorities briefly closed the site on Friday and Saturday, citing the heat, after a tourist collapsed in front of the Acropolis in Athens. And volunteers from the Hellenic Red Cross handed out free water bottles to help visitors stay hydrated.
On Monday, Britain’s Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Greece, Italy and Spain noting extreme temperatures and the risk of wildfires, warning British tourists to stay abreast of local weather updates.
In Rome, which was expecting particularly baking temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday, authorities mobilized a task force of workers and volunteers to patrol sites such as the Colosseum and outdoor markets and identify people suffering from heat stress. Authorities in many European countries have warned people to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day, and measures such as cooling stations have been introduced in many cities popular with tourists.
Even with the high number of visitors to Europe this summer, travel advisors say there are signs of changing travel patterns, which could become the norm if the extreme heat continues. July and August are usually the peak travel months, but the season has started to expand in April, May, September and October.
Some travelers choose to visit European countries further north, while others plan their trip during the cooler times of the day.
