Europe is gripped by an intense and prolonged period of heat, with meteorologists warning that temperatures in Italy could soon exceed 48.8°C (119.84°F) – the hottest recorded in European history.

The anticyclone known as Cerberus, named after the three-headed monster that appears in Dante’s Inferno, is expected to send temperatures above 40°C to parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey in the coming days.

Meanwhile, temperatures in Italy could soon reach 48 degrees Celsius on the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. A red alert has been issued in 10 cities nationwide, including Rome, Florence and Bologna.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe is believed to have been 48.8 degrees near the ancient city of Syracuse on the coast of Sicily in August 2021. Scientists at the European Space Agency He said This record could be broken again in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Italian Meteorological Society (SMI) told CNBC that it was not yet possible to predict whether Europe’s temperature record would soon be equaled or surpassed.

However, SMI warned that “a large-scale meteorological composition is very similar to that which brought the exceptional value of 48.8°C in Sicily on August 11, 2021” and the Cerberus heat wave is expected to intensify in southern Italy in the coming days.

Researchers say global warming greatly increases the odds of heatwaves like the heatwave currently occurring in countries across Europe.

It comes shortly after the planet recorded its hottest day since records began for the third time in just four days.

Climate scientists are deeply concerned about a recent series of global temperature records, which underscore the urgent need to cut emissions of the greenhouse gases that are fueling the climate emergency.

“The heat puts stress on the whole of society and it has cascading risks,” Chloe Primicombe, a climate researcher at Austria’s University of Graz, told CNBC by email.

“This includes power grids and health services under stress, trains having to run slower or roads melting in some areas, potential declines in crop yields, livestock health issues and retail output. The most vulnerable in society are those who are unfairly affected.”

Earlier this week, scientists found that more than 61,000 people died in Europe as a result of the heat last year. The summer of 2022 was the summer of Europe Hottest ever It was marked by a series of record-breaking heat waves.

search, It was published Monday in the journal Nature MedicineHe said that Italy recorded the highest number of heat-related deaths between May 30 and September 4 last year, with 18,010 deaths, while Spain recorded 11,324 deaths and Germany 8,173.

The Cerberus heat wave has raised fears that the current extreme heat wave could cause many deaths this summer.

“The increasing frequency of extreme heat waves and other extreme weather events should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers in Europe, as in the rest of the world, about the urgent need to accelerate climate action,” said Simone Tagliapietra, a senior fellow at the Brussels Centre. Headquartered in Brussels. Bruegel, Research Center, to CNBC via email.

“Events like this can have serious impacts on the economy and society. For example, they can affect the power system, by putting pressure hard on the electricity grid due to high demand for electricity for air conditioning, and supply-side problems such as reduced hydropower production,” it added. Tagliapietra.