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Europe is facing record-breaking temperatures due to the Cerberus heatwave which is showing no signs of abating. According to media reports on Sunday (July 16), southern and eastern Europe will continue to swelter. For several days, Italy, Spain and Greece have been experiencing high temperatures. On the other hand, Croatia, France and Turkey could also face temperatures of around 40°C, a report by Euronews.green said. 

The European Space Agency (ESA) is tracking Cerberus. The ESA had earlier warned that the heatwave would also be felt in parts of northern Europe. 

What is Cerberus?

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The Euronews.green report said that extreme temperatures have hit Europe this year as the world swelters through the El Nino pattern. However, the latest spike (in temperatures) has been due to the Cerberus heatwave. The Italian Meteorological Society named the heatwave after the mythical monster, Cerberus. The report said that the extreme heatwave driven by Cerberus is forecast to hit the Mediterranean for around two weeks.

The affected regions

In Italy, the health ministry issued a red alert for 16 cities, including the capital Rome, Bologna and France for the weekend. Citing local media, a report by BBC on Sunday said the heatwave is expected to continue the next week with 48°C possible in Sardinia - a temperature that would fall short of a European record high of 48.8°C recorded in Sicily in August 2021.

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According to the Italian weather service, Sardinia would be at the epicentre of the upcoming heatwave. Speaking to BBC, Italian meteorologist Giulio Betti said that temperatures would reach a peak between 19 and 23 July - not only in Italy but also in Greece, Turkey and the Balkans. "Several local heat records within these areas may well be broken during those days," Betti added. 

In Spain, the country's weather service said that temperatures could potentially hit 45°C in the southeastern areas of the Iberian Peninsula, which are under an alert for extreme heat. 

Meanwhile, in Greece, a heatwave is forecast to reach up to 44°C in some parts of the country, the Euronews.green report said. 

Authorities banned access to nature reserves and forests to reduce the risk of wildfires, while municipalities opened air-conditioned areas in public buildings for people to shelter from the heat, the report added. 

Will the heatwave end soon?

Spain's weather service said that on Wednesday, temperatures are expected to drop overall with the arrival of cool winds from the north and east. And a report by Sky News on Saturday said that while some relief is there in the coming days for the Iberian Peninsula, other European countries will sweat through the weekend.

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