Athens, July 22 (AFP\/APP): Greece was Saturday facing its hottest July weekend in 50 years, with temperatures forecast to soar above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), while a record-breaking heat wave stretching across the southern United States was expected to expand in the coming days.<\/p>\n
Tens of millions of people in the northern hemisphere have been suffering through intense heat this summer as the world appears headed for its hottest July on record.<\/p>\n
As temperature records tumble, experts have pointed the finger at climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels, saying global warming is playing a key role in destructive weather.<\/p>\n
Already 11 days into its heatwave, Greece’s national weather institute warned reprieve was still days away, setting this up to be the longest hot spell the country has ever seen.<\/p>\n
“According to the data, we will probably go through 16-17 days of a heat wave, which has never happened before in our country,” Kostas Lagouvardos, the director of research at the National Observatory, told ERT television Saturday.<\/p>\n
The previous heat wave record in Greece was set in 1987 when scorching temperatures of over 39C lasted 11 days.<\/p>\n
Across the southern United States, about 80 million Americans will swelter in temperatures of 41C and above this weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.<\/p>\n
The country’s worst heat of up to 46C is forecast for Phoenix, Arizona, which has seen a record-breaking three weeks in a row of highs above 43C.<\/p>\n
Tourists, meanwhile, have been flocking to Death Valley National Park, which straddles the border between California and Nevada, to post selfies with a temperature display outside the visitor center.<\/p>\n
Many are hoping to see it break a world record of 56.7C, which was set in July 1913 but was likely the result of a faulty measurement, according to several meteorologists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Athens, July 22 (AFP\/APP): Greece was Saturday facing its hottest July weekend in 50 years, with temperatures forecast to soar above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), while a record-breaking heat wave stretching across the southern United States was expected to expand in the coming days. Tens […]<\/p>\n
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