Heat wave hits Rome as temperatures expected to rise further

Europe braced for new high temperatures on Tuesday under a relentless heatwave and wildfires that have scorched swathes of the Northern Hemisphere, forcing the evacuation of 1,200 children close to a Greek seaside resort.

Health authorities have sounded alarms from North America to Europe and Asia, urging people to stay hydrated and shelter from the burning sun, in a stark reminder of the effects of global warming.

Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, was bracing for the peak of the current heatwave to hit Italy's islands of Sicily and Sardinia, where a high of 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) has been forecast by the European Space Agency.

The previous European temperature record was 48.8C recorded on Sicily in 2021, according to the UN weather agency.

Near Athens, emergency services battled wildfires for a second day in several locations around Athens.

"Our main concern is protecting human life," firefighters spokesman Yannis Artopios told the press.

Several homes were burned in the area, according to footage from public broadcaster ERT.

A forest fire flared in strong winds by the popular beach town of Loutraki, where the mayor said 1,200 children had been evacuated from holiday camps.

"The extreme weather ... is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies," said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

"This underlines the increasing urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible."

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