Antonino Galofaro, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: PIERO CRUCIATTI / AFP
For the past few days, Europe has been affected by a major heat wave. Countries like Germany, Greece, Spain but especially Italy are strongly impacted, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees in places. For the occasion, Europe 1 went to Milan to meet the inhabitants in search of freshness.
Europe is hot, very hot. With 34 degrees in Munich in Germany, more than 40 in Andalusia in Spain or even in Greece, the thermometer is panicking all over the world this weekend. A burning illustration of global warming and counting. In Italy, historic records are expected in the coming days and the population is preparing for a fiery week with average temperatures of 40 degrees. This weekend already, the nights are tropical with more than 23 degrees. To fight this, you have to do well. For the occasion, Europe 1 went to Milan to meet the inhabitants who are suffocating.
“We try not to stay outside during the hottest hours”
The air is heavy, the heat humid, the thermometer in a pharmacy reads 32 degrees and the streets in this area of central Milan are empty. Only Elena gets out of her car to buy cigarettes. “Going by car would help if the air conditioning was working. But yes, it definitely helps. Let’s say that we try like everyone else not to stay outside during the hottest hours”, she says at the microphone of Europe 1. Elena runs to her car to get home in the cool, because she can’t stand this heat.
This is not the case of Georgio and Ornella, these two elderly people are the only ones walking in this street. “My little secret is to take two showers. One in the morning and the other in the evening. And in this way, we will get to the end” of the heat wave, admits the gentleman. “And you would have to go to the sea or to the mountains, which I don’t do. What can I do? I try to resist,” adds his wife. We will have to resist even more next week since the temperatures will exceed 40 degrees with peaks of 48 degrees in Sardinia.