Unveiling the Unprecedented: Summer 2021's Rollercoaster of Heatwaves, Wildfires, and Travel Turmoil

This summer has been a nightmare for travelers, with a plethora of negative headlines plaguing the world of travel. From environmental disasters and mishaps in the aviation industry to strikes, dirty beaches, extreme temperatures, heavy rainfalls, price hikes, and overcrowding, it feels like everything has worked against vacationers, ruining the holidays of countless individuals, possibly even millions.

In most cases, the inconvenience experienced by travelers does not compare to the devastating effects these situations have had on communities globally.

However, for numerous individuals, a summer vacation serves as an essential yearly event that provides relief from not only the pressures of everyday life, but also various severe challenges.

Thousands of fortunate individuals savored seamless vacations across the globe. Amidst the occasional disgruntled social media posts emanating from airport departure lounges, an abundance of joyous poolside selfies surely outweighed the discontent.

However, it is unfortunate that negative news spreads the farthest. Here is a compilation of the challenges encountered by holidaymakers in recent months:

Relentless heat

This summer has been declared the planet's hottest for years.

Matt York/AP

Even sunseekers were in for more than what they bargained for during the early summer of July 2023. NASA officially declared it as the Earth's hottest month ever recorded since 1880. However, the scorching temperatures didn't stop there. This summer went on to break previous records by a considerable margin, making it the hottest season the planet has experienced in years.

Southern Europe experienced scorching heatwaves that caused temperatures to rise to almost record-breaking levels, causing discomfort and posing a risk to both tourists and locals.

Italy issued red alert heat warnings and provided advice to tourists and locals on the significance of staying hydrated and finding shelter in shaded areas with air conditioning. Meanwhile, in Athens, authorities took the measure of closing down major tourist attractions, such as the Acropolis, during the peak heat of the day.

Greece's Acropolis was closed during the hottest part of the day as temperatures rose during the summer.

Tourist patterns are anticipated to change as the temperature rises, with a study indicating a 10% decline in tourists planning trips to the Mediterranean region compared to the previous year. Conversely, there is a growing interest in destinations with cooler climates such as Ireland and Denmark. Thomas Cook, a UK travel company, and the travel agent association ABTA, have reported no noticeable variation in July.

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Meanwhile, the extreme weather kept coming.

In northern Italy's Veneto region, hailstones measuring up to 10 centimeters (nearly four inches) fell. Meanwhile, the city of Phoenix in the United States experienced an unprecedented heatwave with temperatures surpassing 110F (43C) for a consecutive record-breaking 31 days.

The extreme heatwave also affected America's national parks, including Death Valley, the Grand Canyon, and Big Bend in Texas, causing sweltering conditions and numerous deaths suspected to be heat-related. At the Grand Canyon, QR codes were strategically placed at trailheads, providing visitors with information on available water sources and shelter. In Death Valley, signs cautioned tourists against hiking after 10 a.m. Later in the summer, the same location had to be closed due to flooding caused by intense storms.

Signs were posted in Death Valley urging tourists not to hike after 10 a.m.

Tourists from around the world flocked to China's far-western Xinjiang province to witness the blazing temperatures at the Flaming Mountains. As the mercury soared to new records, visitors eagerly experienced the scorching heat emanating from the red sandstone cliffs near Turpan. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Wearing hats and carrying umbrellas, tourists took selfies by a huge thermometer showing a surface temperature of 80 C (176 F), Chinese state television showed.

A world on fire

Wildfires broke out on Tenerife, among many other places this summer.

Andres Gutierrez/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Inevitably, extreme heat led to extreme wildfires, with tourists and major destinations caught up in some of the worst outbreaks.

Blazes erupted in Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and Greece in July, devastating areas such as Corfu, Evia, and the outskirts of Athens. Among the affected regions, the popular tourist island of Rhodes suffered the most severe impact. On July 18, a fire originated in the island's center and rapidly engulfed the eastern and southern coasts, putting beach resorts at risk.

Due to the advancing flames, numerous tourists and residents were evacuated to temporary lodging in sports halls, schools, or other public buildings across the island. A total of approximately 20,000 individuals were evacuated via land and sea, with some unable to retrieve their passports and personal belongings. Airlines and tour companies had to cancel flights and vacation plans, and empty planes were dispatched to bring stranded tourists back home. Subsequently, Greece extended the gesture of providing free vacations in spring or fall of 2024 to those who were affected.

Maui's historic Lahaina was devastated by fire.

Wildfires in August caused thousands of residents in Tenerife, one of Spain's typically mild Canary Islands, to evacuate their homes. Italys Sicily, Calabria, Abruzzo, and Puglia regions also witnessed fire outbreaks, leading to the evacuation of homes and hotels. Additionally, wildfires affected Algeria in North Africa.

The summer may be enjoyable, but the autumn offers even more opportunities for travel. Tragically, Canada recently faced its most devastating wildfire season to date, witnessing over 1,000 fires since April. This led to the evacuation of numerous individuals across the Northwest Territories and British Columbia. Consequently, travel was restricted in the vicinity of Kelowna, a highly sought-after tourist spot.

On August 8, Lahaina, a historic town on the Hawaiian island of Maui, experienced the most destructive wildfire of the summer, resulting in the unfortunate loss of at least 115 lives. Hawaii Governor Josh Green has deemed it the most significant natural disaster in the state's history.

Regrettably, numerous historic and cultural landmarks in Lahaina were devastated by the fire. Among them were the Baldwin Home Museum, an 1830s-era house considered to be the oldest on Maui, as well as the Lahaina Heritage Museum and the Wo Hing Museum.

There is hope that the sprawling 150-year-old Banyan tree - a popular focal point - may survive.

Storm forces

Japan's high-speed rail services were disrupted by a typhoon.

The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images

After the fires came the storms, again wreaking havoc on travel while also causing widespread devastation.

Hurricane Hilary devastated the US west coast in August, causing extensive rainfall and flooding. Palm Springs, a desert city, experienced more rainfall in one hour than its usual annual precipitation. In late summer, Idalia struck Florida and several southern states, coinciding with the approaching Labor Day weekend.

Southeast Asia also faced relentless storms during the typhoon season. Typhoons Doksuri, Khanun, and Lan brought unprecedented rainfall and powerful winds, resulting in fatalities, severe flooding, landslides, and widespread power failures.

Typhoon Khanun caused severe devastation in South Korea and resulted in approximately 40,000 teenagers from 155 countries being forced to end the World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, located south of Seoul. The approaching typhoon, combined with the ongoing heatwave and challenging conditions at the campsite, posed significant concerns.

The impact of Typhoon Lan in Japan's southern Wakayama prefecture on August 15 was substantial, leading to major disruptions in the operations of the super-fast bullet trains. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways were compelled to cancel numerous flights due to the adverse weather conditions.

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In hot water

Rising sea temperature caused unprecedented mass bleaching on reefs around the Florida Keys.

Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Another consequence of rising heat has been water temperatures also reaching  record highs.

The exceptionally high hot tub temperatures of 101.19 F (38.44 C) recorded on July 25 in Manatee Bay, Florida, not only made it uncomfortable for swimmers but also had devastating effects on the coral species in the surrounding reefs. According to a report by the Coral Restoration Foundation, Sombrero Reef off the coast of Marathon in the Florida Keys experienced a complete coral mortality rate of 100%.

"This situation is comparable to the catastrophic loss of all trees in the rainforest," CNN was informed by Keri ONeil, the Director and Senior Scientist at the Florida Aquarium. "If the rainforest trees vanish, where will all the other animals, dependent on the rainforest, find shelter? Similarly, the disappearance of corals serves as an underwater equivalent to this crisis. Corals play a crucial role."

The presence of coral reefs significantly contributes to Florida's economy, generating billions of dollars through fishing and tourism. Additionally, these reefs create numerous job opportunities.

And it wasn't only Florida that experienced extreme temperatures. On July 24, the Mediterranean Sea hit a new record high of 83.1F (28.4C), as reported by the European Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), surpassing the previous record of 28.25C (82.85F) set in 2003.

While Americans are heading to popular destinations in Europe, let's see where Europeans are choosing to go instead.

Dirty water

The UK spent much of the summer deluged by unseasonably cool and wet weather.

Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

The UK experienced a prolonged period of unfavorable weather in July and August, which differed greatly from the scorching temperatures in southern Europe. This resulted in the cancellation of numerous summer vacations, as well as sporting and cultural events across Britain. It was not until early September, after most people's vacations had ended, that temperatures began to rise. Experts attributed this unseasonable weather to a disrupted weather pattern caused by a deviation in the jet stream, a high-altitude wind that typically blows from west to east.

The lack of beach-friendly weather may have been a blessing in disguise, as the increasing problem of water pollution caused by sewage dumping at sea has rendered many shorelines in Britain too toxic for swimmers. With sewage-contaminated beaches becoming prevalent, there is a risk of England gaining a reputation as the "dirty man of Europe."

Flight chaos

Strikes and air traffic control glitches have caused problems for Europe's aviation network this summer.

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During the summer, the aviation infrastructure in the US managed to withstand frequent creaking. However, in Europe, there were multiple disruptions due to strikes or strike threats by air traffic controllers, pilots, or cabin crew. As a result, thousands of flights had to be cancelled. Towards the end of August, a glitch in air traffic control, which was attributed to a single incorrect data point, caused UK's National Air Traffic Services to impose traffic restrictions. This resulted in extensive delays and cancellations across the continent for several days.

Overcrowding and overpricing

France's Mont St. Michel has been battling with tourist covercrowding.

Despite the global hazards and obstacles, tourists continued to travel in large numbers, possibly as a result of the rebound from Covid lockdowns. In certain locations, the influx of visitors was overwhelming, leading authorities to implement limitations on their numbers.

In France, popular attractions like Mont Saint Michel are facing overcrowding issues, prompting efforts to redirect tourists to other destinations or encourage visits throughout the year. Similarly, Amsterdam has initiated a unique "stay away campaign" to discourage rowdy British tourists, while Venice and Amsterdam are contemplating imposing limitations on cruise ships. Moreover, on Japan's revered Mount Fuji, tourist congestion has become so severe that visitors have to queue up to reach the summit.

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Venice has implemented a new entrance fee of 5 euros ($5.40) for daytrippers as a measure to reduce the number of visitors. Greek officials have also revealed plans to limit the daily visitors to the Acropolis starting from September in order to preserve the monument.

In Mallorca, an island destination popular for vacations, a local protest group has taken responsibility for creating counterfeit signs that warn of jellyfish, falling rocks, or long walks to a nearby beach. Their intention behind this action is to attempt to control overcrowding on the island.

Tourists in Italy have become vulnerable to scams, with instances such as being overcharged for simple tasks like slicing a sandwich. In contrast, many locals find their own country too costly for holidaying.