Dutch tourists warned of high heat in Southern Europe as holidays get underway

Holidaymakers in the Netherlands destined for Southern Europe were warned about the expected high temperatures in the region in the coming days. The central school region of the Netherlands already began their summer holiday period, with those in the southern region set to begin their six-week break this weekend. Many Dutch households are expected to hit the road for their travel.

Drivers should not set the air conditioning in their vehicles colder than 6 degrees Celsius below the outside temperature, warned travel association ANWB. Every vehicle operator should also make sure to bring an umbrella with them, so that they have access to shade in the event of a breakdown while the sun is blazing.

Temperatures are rising considerably, especially in Spain, Portugal and Italy, according to Weeronline. Still, it is unwise to set the air conditioning in the car too cold. “Otherwise you get such a shock from the heat when you step outside.” The ANWB advised everyone to be well prepared, with sufficient drinking water, but also by checking in advance whether the car is ready for the journey. “And those traveling with children can place sunshades against the windows.”

It will be sweltering at some holiday destinations, with maximum temperatures of 45 degrees or more, Weeronline reported. It will be particularly hot in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, with calculations for southern Spain showing temps up to 46 or 47 degrees after the weekend. At well-known beach areas in Portugal, it will be more pleasant with maximums of 26 to 30 degrees. In Greece and Turkey, temperatures can reach 35 degrees or more. Inland it could even reach 40 degrees.

The air that flows to Europe from Africa must be very warm to reach such record values, Weeronline meteorologist Wilfred Janssen explained. “But if that air can retain its specific warm properties, it can become even warmer on land. The air behind mountain ridges in Sicily could warm up as well, which helps with that, for example.” In Sicily, the European heat record seemed to break last year, but because the weather station there was not working properly, the record was removed from the books, Janssen said. “Whether the European heat record will be broken later this week or in the near future, we don’t know yet.”

Such extreme heat has various consequences, said meteorologist Janssen. More water evaporates when it is so hot. If there has been little rain and there is already a precipitation deficit, the risk of forest and wildfires can increase locally. “In parts of Catalonia and elsewhere in Spain, heavy showers have provided some relief. But long-term regional drought has been experienced in Spain.” For agricultural crops and harvests later in the year, it is still too early to make a prediction.

Heat waves are also dangerous for people and can be deadly, said the meteorologists. “More people die during the heat.”

The ANWB advised Dutch holidaymakers not to leave at 3 a.m., but to wait until after breakfast. “Otherwise you will be driving on the most popular holiday routes at the busiest time of the day, between noon and 3 p.m.,” said a spokespersonn. “If you leave around 9:00 a.m., you avoid the longest traffic jams,” she stated. There has not yet been a large increase in the number of reports from Dutch holidaymakers in Southern Europe about problems from the extreme heat.

It is expected to be very busy on the roads to the south of Europe. In addition to the Dutch, many people from other countries are also leaving for their holiday address by car this weekend. French roads from Paris to the coast were expected to be very busy already on Thursday afternoon and evening, the ANWB predicted.

Many French people are free on Friday because of the national holiday, Quatorze Juillet, the day the French Revolution began in 1789. Long traffic jams were expected on the Autoroute du Soleil, the A7 between Lyon and Orange and on the A10 from Paris to Bordeaux.

The traffic jams on Saturday in France may be shorter due to the crowds on Thursday. Even still, a significant amount of traffic is expected on the roads on Saturday.

In Germany, holidaymakers should also take into account delays on the road this weekend, including around Hamburg and Munich. Moreover, there are currently many active roadwork projects ing Germany. The ANWB counted about 1,400 construction sites, and the A8 from Munich to Stuttgart will be completely closed to Ulm this weekend.

In Austria, the Karawankentunnel will be the biggest bottleneck. The tunnel is located on the border of Slovenia and Austria. Holiday traffic in Austria is not allowed on local roads during the day during summer weekends to avoid traffic jams. In Italy, the ANWB said there will be traffic jams again on Saturday towards the northern Italian lakes and the coast, especially on the A22 between Brennero and Verona, the A4 from Milan to Trieste and the A14 between Bologna and Rimini.

Anyone driving through the St. Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland towards Chiasso must take into account traffic jams from early morning to late afternoon on Saturday and an extra travel time of more than two hours.