
Powerful earthquake strikes off Crete, no damage reported
The quake was at a depth of 35 km (22 miles) near the island of Karpathos in the Mediterranean Sea, the Athens Geodynamic Institute said, prompting Greek authorities to issue a temporary tsunami warning.
Greece is one of Europe's most earthquake-prone countries and an unprecedented level of seismic activity shook the popular tourist island of Santorini for weeks earlier this year.
Reuters
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Nahar Net
16 hours ago
- Nahar Net
France biggest wildfire of summer has eclipsed size of Paris and is still spreading
by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 August 2025, 18:06 France's biggest wildfire this summer was spreading quickly Wednesday in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border after leaving one person dead, authorities said. The fire had burned an area larger than Paris. About 2,000 firefighters and several water bomber aircraft battled the blaze that broke out Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to wineries. The fire, which has burned 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), remained ''very active'' on Wednesday, the local administration said in a statement. The weather was hot, dry and windy, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze. One person died in their home, and at least 13 others were injured, including 11 firefighters, local authorities said. One person who was initially described as missing has been located and is safe. Jacques Piraux, mayor of the village of Jonquières, said all residents have been evacuated. "It's a scene of sadness and desolation," he told broadcaster BFM TV after he visited Wednesday morning. "It looks like a lunar landscape, everything is burned. More than half or three-quarters of the village has burned down. It's hellish." Residents and tourists in nearby areas were requested to remain in their homes unless told to evacuate. Two campsites were evacuated as a precaution. French Prime Minister François Bayrou met Wednesday afternoon with firefighters and residents at Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, where the fire service's command post has been set up. The environment ministry said the Aude region has been experiencing a drought this month, with water use restrictions in place. Lack of rainfall in recent months "played a major role in the spreading of the fire, since the vegetation is very dry," the statement said. Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires. Last month, a wildfire that reached the southern port of Marseille, France's second-largest city, left around 300 people injured. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.


L'Orient-Le Jour
a day ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Heatwave expected in Lebanon starting Thursday
A heatwave is expected to hit the country starting Thursday, with high humidity, according to forecasts from Jocelyne Abu Fares, head of the division in charge of forecasting at Meteo-Liban, contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour. This heatwave, anticipated since last weekend, could last a week or more, she added. "The current climate, marked by moderate summer weather with seasonal temperatures, is linked to an atmospheric low-pressure system established in the eastern Mediterranean basin, specifically between Lebanon and Turkey. However, starting Thursday, the Indian depression, which extends every summer, will draw hot air masses from Saudi Arabia toward Lebanon," explained Abu Fares. "The winds will first warm the interior of the country, then will gradually reach the coastal areas. An anticyclone, formed between Turkey and Greece, will stabilize this climate for at least a week, marked by a significant level of humidity, at least 85 percent, which will intensify the feeling of heat," she said. "These are fairly normal conditions for the month of August in Lebanon. Farmers rely on them for their thyme and grape harvests." According to a detailed Meteo-Liban bulletin published on el-Nashra Wednesday: Thursday: The weather will be slightly cloudy, with an initial rise in temperatures, especially in the mountainous and inland regions. Fog will form on the mid-elevations. Friday: The weather will be partly cloudy, with a marked rise in temperatures, particularly in the mountainous and inland areas, where the temperature could reach 40°C in the Bekaa. Humidity will begin to increase on the coast, with fog expected on the hills, mainly in the early morning. Saturday: The weather will remain partly cloudy, with a further and significant increase in maximum temperatures in the inland and mountain areas, exceeding seasonal norms by 5°C and also surpassing 40°C in the Bekaa. On the coast, the increase will be limited, with temperatures returning to seasonal norms, but with high humidity intensifying the sensation of heat. Lebanon has experienced a particularly poor year for precipitation, making life more difficult for Lebanese farmers and prompting authorities to ask tourist establishments to ration their water consumption.


LBCI
a day ago
- LBCI
Wildfire in southern France kills one, progressing 'quickly'
One person has died as a result of a wildfire in the Aude region in southern France, the local authority said on Wednesday. The Aude prefecture said in a statement the fire was progressing "very quickly" and that 1,820 firefighters were trying to get it under control. Around 2,500 households in the area were currently without electricity, it said. Reuters