European heatwave: Why is ‘deadly’ weather trend named after Cerberus dog in mythology?

UK tourists are being warned of the deadly ‘Cerberus’ heatwave, which is currently sweeping southern parts of Europe and north-west Africa. Temperatures are expected to surpass 40C in parts of Spain and may hit highs of 47C in Turkey and 48.8C in Italy.

While the weather in the UK remains wet and windy, those travelling abroad will face contrasting conditions. Southern Europe looks to be hit the worst with the Met Office warning British tourists about “unusually high temperatures” in the region.

On Tuesday, a 44-year-old man died in Italy after collapsing amid the intense heat. The news came after a study published in Nature Medicine found rising temperatures in Europe contributed to more than 61,000 deaths last year.

But what is the meaning behind the heatwave’s nickname?

Why is the heatwave called Cerberus?

Cerberus, also known as the hound of Hades, is the name given to the three-headed dog that guards the gates of the third circle of hell in Dante’s Inferno. Meteorologist Stefano Rossi told La Stampa newspaper about the name’s connection to Italy.

He said: “The three heads indicate the three main climatic zones into which Italy will be divided.”

What have previous heatwaves been named?

Meteorologists don’t officially name heatwaves but the extreme weather trend still attracts common nicknames. A heatwave which swept parts of Europe during summer 2017 was nicknamed ‘Lucifer’.

Whereas another heatwave nicknamed ‘the blob’, stretched from Alaska to Mexico and increased the ocean water temperature by 13 degrees in 2013 through 2016, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.

How long will the Cerberus heatwave last?

According to national weather services in Europe, the heatwave is expected to taper off slightly from next week. However, parts of Italy will remain hot into next week.

Source (Turkish State Meteorological Service; AEMET; Hellenic National Meteorological Service; MateoFrance; Met Office)