(Bloomberg) -- Heat is blanketing southeast Europe, threatening the health of millions as daily lows edge higher.
By the end of next week, temperatures in Athens won’t drop below 30C (86F), according to Weather Services International. Rome and Madrid face daily minimums above 20C, levels that were also recorded around Lake Geneva earlier this week.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves, while sustained high minimum temperatures don’t allow the body to recover during the night, according to the World Meteorological Organization. In Europe, Greece and the Balkans have been the hardest hit by the heat this summer.
At the same time, Greek firefighters are continuing to battle a blaze in the region of Korinthia. New fires also erupted Friday in northern Greece, including blazes close to Thessaloniki, the country’s second-largest city.
Much of the Mediterranean remains under very high alert levels for wildfires, with Albania receiving Greek support earlier this week to contain blazes.
Temperatures in parts of mainland Greece are forecast to soar to as high as 43C in the coming five days, while Sicily and other regions of southern Italy will top 40C.
Further north in Italy, there has been severe flooding in Lombardy, with Lake Como overflowing. Flights at Milan’s Malpensa airport were disrupted by the heavy rains, while hail and strong winds impacted rail and road transport in neighboring Piedmont.
The intense heat in the southeast has brought a sharp divide across Europe, with the UK and northern France set to remain cooler than usual over the next seven days.
Hotter conditions are forecast for London by the end of next week, according to WSI.
--With assistance from Chiara Albanese and Flavia Rotondi.
(Updates with flooding in northern Italy in seventh paragraph)
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