"Dog Days" Blaze in Europe .. An Astronomical Heritage Reused to Describe the Heatwave

With the intensification of the heatwave in Europe this week, and temperatures reaching record levels in France, Spain, and Italy, the traditional old term known as "Dog Days of Summer" has resurfaced in Western media. This term has been used for centuries to refer to the hottest and harshest periods of summer.

Behind this term, which is now echoed in weather reports and warnings, lies an astronomical story and a deep folk heritage. The "Dog Days" are not about animals, but rather refer to the star "Sirius", the brightest star in the sky, which appears in the constellation "Canis Major" (the Greater Dog) during this time of the year.

Ancient Greeks and Romans noticed the rising of this star coinciding with severe heatwaves, believing it intensified the sun's heat. In their beliefs, these days were associated with disease, anxiety, and instability. Although modern science has not proven a direct relationship between the star and the weather, the term remains present in language and culture, being revived each year as temperatures rise.

In ancient Egypt, the rising of the "Sirius" star had a completely different significance; it symbolized the onset of the Nile flood, heralding a bountiful agricultural season.

Today, with the increasing impact of climate change and unprecedented heatwaves, the term "Dog Days" returns as a linguistic paradox reminding us that what was once considered exceptional in the past has become a recurring reality in the present.