BOOZE-FREE ZONE
Brit holiday BOOZE warning as tourists fly into Cerberus heatwave that’s pushing temperatures towards 49C
BRITISH holidaymakers in Europe have been warned to avoid alcohol during the fierce "Cerberus" heatwave that is set to send temperatures soaring up to 49C.
The deadly heatwave passing through Southern Europe has sent tourists seeking shelter as the mercury climbed to the high 40s in Greece, Spain, France and Italy.
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Health officials in Spain have issued an urgent warning for tourists to be cautious of the sweltering weather and avoid drinking alcohol.
Cristina Linares, co-director of the Carlos III Institute of Health in Madrid, urged tourists to avoid heavy drinking of alcohol during the heatwave.
She said: "People who are not used to living in hot countries should also be warned against heavy drinking of alcohol during heatwaves."
The extreme weather has already caused the death of at least three people in Italy as eight red alert warnings have come into force across the country.
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A 44-year-old man collapsed while painting a zebra crossing in Milan at 40C and died later in hospital.
And two brothers, aged six and seven, died after they jumped into a reservoir in Manfredonia in southern Italy, reportedly to cool down.
Meanwhile, the blast of hot air caused tourists, including a Brit, to pass out in Rome.
The north of the country is bracing for storms including hailstorms over the weekend as an even more intense heatwave is on the way next week with the mercury expected to reach 48C in Sardinia and Sicily.
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Weather experts have declared 2023 an El Niño year - a natural phenomenon that occurs cyclically and causes fluctuations in the global climate.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization said it will raise temperatures around the world, and the effect is likely to continue for the rest of the year.
Head of Italy's meteorological agency Carlo Cacciamani said: "It is not improbable that we beat that record."
The heatwave which was named after the three-headed hound of Hades in Greek mythology, is particularly affecting Spain and Greece as well as France, Croatia and Cyprus.
In Greece, sunshades were set up at the Acropolis and bottles of water were handed to tourists as temperatures on Wednesday rose to a sizzling 40C.
The country has been hit by heatwave Cleon with temperatures reaching an average of 42C to 43C across the country.
Greece's National Meteorological Service has issued an emergency bulletin of dangerous weather phenomena while officials have introduced measures for employees such as suspending operations in areas where heat risk is high and urged those vulnerable to work from home.
Extra measures to protect animals were in place, including donkeys and horses used for rides at tourist hotspots.
Emergency services, hospitals and firefighting planes have been placed on high alert as the heatwave has increased the risk of wildfires.
The extreme weather is expected to intensify next week across southern Europe.
Spain has been particularly hit by the blistering weather as the temperature climbed to 45C in the village of Loja near Granada and an extreme heat alert is in place for the south of the country.
Spanish weather service AEMET has warned that temperatures in parts of the country could hit 44C.
A red warning has been in place for parts of Gran Canaria as the mercury is expected to exceed 40C.
Earlier this month holidaymakers were warned over another heatwave in Spain- this time in popular resorts such as Benidorm and the islands of Majorca, Menorca, and Ibiza.
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The anticyclone is also affecting France as a red weather alert is in place in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
The high temperatures are followed by thunderstorms and strong winds as multiple regions across the country were issued with tier-three orange alert weather warnings.
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