Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Irish people living in Southern Europe say they will consider moving home if temperatures continue to rise every year.
Warnings have been issued in Italy, Greece, France, Spain, and Portugal as some areas have seen sweltering conditions above 40C. Hot air from North Africa has contributed to the soaring temperatures, as such high degrees aren’t usually seen until later in the summer season.
In Spain, emergency staff have been placed on standby to deal with heat stroke patients, especially among kids and the elderly. Dubliner Aoife Willet, who lives an hour south of Lisbon, has been having sleepless nights because her apartment, like many rentals in Portugal, doesn’t have air conditioning.
Temperatures reached 38C in Setabul, where she is living, but Aoife said it feels like it’s over 40C. She told the Irish Mirror: “It feels really hot, there must be a wind coming from Africa or something. Even when the sun was going in there was a really hot wind.
“The temperature increased out of nowhere, Just a few days ago it was 29C. It has been really tough, trying to sleep at night is hard. The problem here is that at night the temperature decreases but the apartments are badly insulated so you have all the heat from during the day.
“I was out until midnight and there was a nice breeze but when I came home my house was absolutely roasting. The houses aren’t built for this heat, there are only two months a year when the apartments are at a good temperature.”
The 28-year-old said if the temperatures continue to get hotter every year and it becomes unbearable, she would consider moving home to Ireland. She said: “If it continues to get hotter and hotter a cooler climate like Ireland is something to consider.
“That is one of the reasons I left Ireland but with how the weather is getting in some of Europe, this intense heat, somewhere with a cooler climate might be better in some ways.” John Fahy, who has been living in Valencia, Spain, for 27 years said he never had his underwear stick to him like he did on Monday morning.
The Dubliner said it has gotten exponentially hotter in the past three decades, and it’s having a massive impact on wildlife. He said: “We used to have four months of winter, on Halloween night it would be cold and now it’s never cold.
“My first Halloween here I was waiting outside an Irish bar wearing a scarf, gloves and a hat. Here in the mountains we used to see snakes all the time and I haven’t seen a snake in eight years probably. The toads are gone, there’s usually a water pond here all year round and it’s dried out.
“It will get worse in July and August, this is the first heatwave and more will come. Last year my car reached 50C one day, now it’s 42C.” Rose Martin, who is the owner of Rose Irish Bar in Torrevieja, Spain, said the intense heat changes customer habits.
She said: “It’s hot, very hot and very humid. If it’s very hot people will come out for breakfast and then they won’t come out until the night time, so it does affect business. There’s no one walking down the streets midday, they are all in the house with the aircon on.
“You have to have the aircon in the bar or else you wouldn’t get the people in. It’s draining, I’m really tired, I have to make sure I drink enough water throughout the day.
“It’s 38C today, people aren’t walking their dogs, so for animals in this heat it’s really difficult.” The Kildare native has been living in Spain for three years, but said she will move back to Ireland in the future.
She said: “A Place in the Sun sells this ideology but they don’t tell you about the intense heat and it’s not safe to go out in the afternoon, the cockroaches and the squatters and thieving.
“I like it but it’s not forever, we will definitely be moving back to Ireland, it’s getting too hot.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
