Temperatures in popular holiday destinations around the Mediterranean Sea are much higher than they were 30 years ago. However, this is usually not reflected in the climate information in holiday brochures, meaning that Dutch tourists are often confronted with extreme heat without warning, RTL News discovered when checking climate data from several travel agencies.
The television channel found that the climate data of almost all major travel agencies in the Netherlands, including TUI, Sunweb, Cornendon and D-reizen, were incorrect. The meteorological institute KNMI confirmed these findings.
This summer, more than 50 locations in southern Europe have recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more. This is the case in Greece, southern Spain and several Balkan countries. But the new climate information has not yet been published on holiday websites.
For example, TUI's information on the Spanish city of Malaga states that in summer temperatures “sometimes” exceed 30 degrees. In reality, the temperature in the Spanish city now exceeds 30 degrees on about 75% of days in July and August. The average maximum temperature in July is now over 32 degrees.
According to D-reizen's information on the Greek capital, Athens is known for its pleasant climate, with temperatures “around 25/30 degrees” from April to November. The current average in Athens in July and August is 33-34 degrees. The maximums have exceeded 35 degrees on about half of the days in July and August in recent years. Two weeks ago, the Acropolis of Athens was closed for the second time this year when temperatures exceeded 40 degrees.
Heat waves around the Mediterranean are becoming increasingly uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous to health. Consumers need to be informed about this, climate researcher Karin van der Wiel from the KNMI told RTL. It is particularly important to understand that the few degrees higher than in the advertisement may not seem like much, but this is an average. In practice, temperatures often rise much higher.
In the latest report from the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Mediterranean region is considered a “hotspot” where climate change is happening relatively quickly. This is because the soil there is very dry, explains Van der Wiel. An area that has little water or humidity cannot release some of its heat into the water, which causes the air temperature to soar.
