The extreme heat wave hits Europe hard.
In Italy, people are being asked to stay indoors – when temperatures reach levels that in many cases could be dangerous.
– You can’t bear to move, the energy is sucked out of the body, says Hannah Tollesson, on site in Sardinia.
In Italy, they have chosen to call the heat “Kerberos”, after the three-headed dog in Greek mythology that guards the entrance to the underworld. Kerberos is expected to remain throughout next week – when it could be even hotter.
Swedish Hannah Tollesson and Mateusz Samulesson are currently in Italian Sardinia, where it was over 42 degrees during the day.
– We feel that we are losing all the energy we have in our bodies. We’ve been here for just over nine days and in the beginning it was okay, but now we feel like we can hardly bear to lie down and sunbathe anymore, says Hannah.
– When you swim in the sea, it hardly cools down. The temperature has also risen quite a lot, she continues.
The guests seek shelter
At the beginning of their vacation, the pool area was full of people – now it is very sparse. Instead, hotel guests try to cool off in the room.
– I think the worst is for our father, who is up in the room now. He has had to stay away completely. He is 75 years old, the worst is for him who suffers a lot, says Mateusz.
Their father has burned badly in the sun and has blisters on his stomach. Otherwise, it is mainly the lack of energy that becomes noticeable in the searing heat.
– What I have noticed is that before you had the energy to check restaurants nearby, but now you just want to lie still. You can’t bear to move, the energy is sucked out of the body, says Hannah.
Doctor’s warning
On Tuesday, a 44-year-old road worker died in northern Italy after collapsing from the heat.
Martin Nordberg, head of the emergency department at Södersjukhuset, reminds us of the importance of seeking shade and drinking water – because temperatures this high can be dangerous.
– The heart has to work harder and the oxygenation, the lungs in other words, you have to work much harder. If you then become so dehydrated that it is difficult to maintain blood pressure, then the kidneys can also be damaged, he says.