Greece, Spain and Portugal race to contain wildfires as EU steps up help
Much of southern Europe, however, remains at high risk under hot, dry conditions on Thursday.
A drop in wind speeds allowed firefighting aircraft in the three hard-hit countries to step up water drops, concentrating on existing fire zones rather than chasing fast-moving fronts.
A helicopter drops water on a wildfire in Larouco, north-western Spain (Lalo R Villar/AP)
Authorities warned that extreme temperatures are likely to persist.
Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in an area north of Madrid this week.
It was the third reported death in Spain because of the recent fires.
Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still cannot return.
In Greece, the fire service said a major blaze outside the southern port city of Patras has been contained on the outskirts of urban areas after a large-scale deployment.
Local residents and volunteers work together to put out an encroaching wildfire in Larouco, north-western Spain (Lalo R Villar/AP)
Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said may have been deliberately set.
The European Union's civil protection agency said it responded to requests for assistance this week from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania, sending firefighting planes and helicopters from other member states.
The agency said it had already activated assistance 16 times amid this summer's wildfires as European countries have been hit by 'a high number of catastrophic wildfires'.
The number of activations for 2025 already matches the total for wildfires during the entire 2024 fire season, it said.
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RTÉ News
13 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Wildfires blaze across Europe
The EU said today that it is working "non-stop" to support countries battling wildfires raging across European countries. Extreme summer heat, which scientists say human-driven climate change is exacerbating, has fuelled blazes in Greece, Portugal, Spain and the Balkans. Heat alerts have also been issued in Italy, France and England - and a climate expert today warned that we can expect these fires to move further north over time. In some regions, firefighters are making strong gains - Turkey has reported a substantial reduction in blazes - while others, notably Spain and Greece, are still in the grip of a lethal and escalating crisis. Spain has has been battling the blazes for ten days. Fire has affected nearly 440,000 hectares in the eurozone so far in 2025, double the average for the same period of the year since 2006, according to the EU Science Hub's Joint Research Centre. Spain today mourned its third wildfire death this week, and activated an EU emergency facility to get help to tackle the blazes. While Greece has been beating back a blaze threatening its third-largest city Patras as an unrelenting heatwave stoked tinderbox conditions in southern Europe. Authorities across European countries have cited multiple causes for the massive fires, including careless farming practices, improperly maintained power cables and summer lightning storms. But there have also been multiple reports of arson, including in Spain and North Macedonia, where rogue developers have been accused of deliberately starting blazes. Lessons for Ireland Climatologist John Sweeney, who is Emeritus Professor of Geography at Maynooth University, said that the Mediterranean Basin "is a major hotspot for climate change globally, as desiccation in summer months makes it vulnerable to ongoing fire damage". He told RTÉ News that "we can expect to see this spreading north as time goes on", adding that there are "some signs of that already in France", where there have been sporadic outbreaks of wildfire. The wildfires ravaging Europe are "part and parcel of what we would expect to see" with "Sahara-like conditions being transformed and translocated further north in Europe" - a process which is driven almost exclusively by man-made climate change. Prof Sweeney said that this has relevance for Ireland, where we already see some wildfires, although mostly gorse-related. But he urged that we should not rule out the potential risk posed in this jurisdiction by reduced or insufficient forest cover. EU response, Spain asks for help The EU said today that it is doing all it can to stop the blazes across the south of the continent. "We continue non-stop to work on the support of affected countries," spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova said. "Fighting wildfires is mainly the task for the member states, but we are here to help them and to assist them with our civil protection mechanism," she added. Under the mechanism, EU member states offer help to other countries on the continent and Brussels pays for the operations. So far during the current fire season it has been activated 16 times. Spain is availing of this support for the first time, and is being given two water bomber aircraft to help fight blazes in the worst hit areas. The Spanish government has also raised its national emergency response level, preparing additional support for regional authorities overseeing multiple evacuations and highway closures. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed condolences after the death of a firefighting volunteer in the hard-hit Castile and Leon region north of Madrid, where thousands have been displaced by evacuations. "The wildfire situation remains serious, and taking extra precautions is essential," Mr Sanchez wrote in an online post. "Thank you, once again, to all those working tirelessly to fight the flames." Evacuation centres have been filled to capacity in parts of central Spain, as the most severe fires pushed northward into more rural areas, where some residents hosed the walls of their homes to try to protect them from fire. Isabel Moreno, a meteorologist based in Madrid. said that at a time of year when temperatures of 32C might be expected they are climbing to 40C. But she told RTE's Today with Colm Ó Mongain: "We know how to manage these kind of temperatures". Greece Greece has been hard hit, as wildfires intensified right across southern Europe, after a night-long battle to protect the perimeter of the country's third-largest city. Greek firefighting resources have been stretched thin by relentless battles against multiple outbreaks following weeks of heatwaves and temperature spikes across the Mediterranean, and there is no sign of things easing up. Outside the port city of Patras, firefighters struggled to protect homes and agricultural facilities as flames tore through pine forests and olive groves. Tall columns of flames exploded behind apartment blocks on the outskirts of the city, while dozens of vehicles were torched as flames swept through a nearby impound lot. "Today is another very difficult day with the level of fire risk remaining very high across many parts of the country," a fire service spokesman said. As water-dropping planes and helicopters swooped overhead, residents joined the effort, beating back flames with cut branches or dousing them with buckets of water. On the island of Chios, exhausted firefighters slept on the roadside following a night-long shift. Aircraft rotated between blazes on the western Greek mainland, the Patras area and the island of Zakynthos. Balkans: Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro Despite being under extreme pressure itself, Athens sent assistance to neighbouring Albania, joining an international effort to combat dozens of wildfires in the hard-hit nation. An 80-year-old man died in one blaze south of the capital Tirana, officials said. Residents of four villages were evacuated in central Albania near a former army ammunition depot. In the southern Korca district, near the Greek border, explosions were reported from buried Second World War-era artillery shells. Authorities said dozens of homes were gutted in a central region of the country. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials in North Macedonia cited indications of arson, motivated by rogue developers. Firefighters also struggled to contain a blaze at a nature reserve outside the capital Skopje. The European Union has rushed aid to fire-hit countries, including non-member states, with ground crews and water-dropping aircraft, with much of it being concentrated on Montenegro, where major wildfires continued to burn in rugged areas near the capital Podgorica. "Natural disasters know no borders," Ljuban Tmusic, head of Montenegro's civil protection agency, said. "In Montenegro the resources we have … are clearly not enough." Turkey A forestry worker was killed yesterday while responding to a wildfire in southern Turkey, officials said. The Forestry Ministry said the worker died in an accident involving a fire engine that left four others injured. Turkey has been battling severe wildfires since late June, and a total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July. However, things look better here than they do for Spain or Greece, with the government saying that most of the blazes have been contained, including a large fire in the northwestern province of Canakkale that forced hundreds to flee from their homes. Both Canakkale airport and the Dardanelles Strait, which connects the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara, were temporarily shut due to the wildfires on Monday. They have since reopened. France, England In France, which is recovering from massive recent fires in the southern regions, temperatures of up to 42C are expected for the third consecutive day. Officials issued weather alerts giving local authorities discretion to cancel public events and cordon off areas with high fire risks. Heat health alerts have also been extended into next week for much of England after the fourth heatwave of the summer brought thunderstorms and showers. The UK Health Security Agency said yellow warnings will now be in place in Yorkshire and Humber, the East and West Midlands, London, the South East and South West and East of England until 6pm next Monday, 18 August. The warnings mean significant impacts on health and social care services are possible due to high temperatures, including a potential rise in deaths among the elderly or those with pre-existing health conditions. Alerts had been previously due to end at 6pm yesterday. Gerard Mills is a physical geographer based at UCD. He told RTÉ's Today with Colm Ó Mongain that no evaporation occurs in cities, which pushes up temperatures. People die in cities because of the heat usually die in their homes, he said, because they become too hot. Going forward, he urged the use of a dual approach, reducing temperatures inside homes, and also in outdoor areas.
Irish Examiner
15 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
At least 44 dead in flash floods on popular Himalayan pilgrimage route
Flash floods caused by torrential rains in a remote village in India-controlled Kashmir have left at least 44 people dead and dozens missing, authorities said. Rescue teams scouring the devastated Himalayan village brought at least 200 people to safety. Following a cloudburst in the region's Chositi village, which triggered floods and landslides, disaster management official Mohammed Irshad estimated that at least 50 people were still missing, with many believed to have been washed away. A building damaged in flash floods caused by torrential rains is seen in a remote, mountainous village in the Chositi area, India-controlled Kashmir (AP) India's deputy minister for science and technology, Jitendra Singh, warned that the disaster 'could result in substantial' loss of life. At least 50 of the rescued people, many of whom were brought from a stream under mud and debris, were seriously injured and were being treated in local hospitals, said Susheel Kumar Sharma, a local official. Chositi is a remote Himalayan village in Kashmir's Kishtwar district and is the last village accessible to motor vehicles on the route of an ongoing annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainous shrine at an altitude of 3,000 metres (9,500 feet) and about an eight-kilometre (5-mile) trek from the village. Multiple pilgrims were also feared to be affected by the disaster. Officials said that the pilgrimage had been suspended and more rescue teams were on the way to the area to strengthen rescue and relief operations. The pilgrimage began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. The first responders to the disaster were villagers and local officials who were later joined by police and disaster management officials, as well as personnel from India's military and paramilitary forces, Mr Sharma said. Abdul Majeed Bichoo, a local resident and a social activist from a neighbouring village, said that he witnessed the bodies of eight people being pulled out from under the mud. Three horses, which were also completely buried alongside them under debris, were 'miraculously recovered alive', he said. The 75-year-old Bichoo said Chositi village had become a 'sight of complete devastation from all sides' following the disaster. Buildings damaged in flash floods caused by torrential rains are seen in a remote, mountainous village, in the Chositi area, India-controlled Kashmir (AP) 'It was heartbreaking and an unbearable sight. I have not seen this kind of destruction of life and property in my life,' he said. The devastating floods swept away the main community kitchen set up for the pilgrims as well as dozens of vehicles and motorbikes, officials said. They added that more than 200 pilgrims were in the kitchen when the tragedy struck. The flash floods also damaged and washed away many homes, clustered together in the foothills. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed extensive damage caused in the village with multiple vehicles and homes damaged. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 'the situation is being monitored closely' and offered his prayers to 'all those affected by the cloudburst and flooding'. 'Rescue and relief operations are underway. Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need,' he said in a social media post. Sudden, intense downpours over small areas known as cloudbursts are increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions, which are prone to flash floods and landslides. Cloudbursts have the potential to wreak havoc by causing intense flooding and landslides, impacting thousands of people in the mountainous regions. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years partly because of climate change, while damage from the storms also has increased because of unplanned development in mountain regions. Kishtwar is home to multiple hydroelectric power projects, which experts have long warned pose a threat to the region's fragile ecosystem.
The Irish Sun
18 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
The UK beaches with the warmest seawater in Britain
Plus, find out the temperature of sea water that's actually pleasant to swim in - and the apps that can help you out SEA SWIMS The UK beaches with the warmest seawater in Britain WHEN summer temperatures soar, lots of Brits will flock to the beach, but dipping your toe into the sea is another story. The waters can still be chilly even though the sun is blazing, so where in the UK is actually warmest to swim? 4 The coastline in Essex also boasts some of the warmest waters for swimming Credit: Getty Win one of 8 incredible holidays to the Caribbean, Mexico and Greece by voting in The Sun's Travel Awards - enter to win here The temperature of the sea around the UK can vary significantly, with lows in the winter of 6C to highs of 20C in summer. Of course, tTwind, ocean currents and depth. Sea temperatures near the coast will be at their highest when there are clear, sunny skies with low winds - these factors allow the water to warm up quickly. The further you go in, the temperature will begin to drop as the depth increases. Generally, the south and west coasts of the UK will have the warmest sea waters, and this year, they are warmer than usual. In July 2025, the Met Office revealed that the waters to the south of the UK are experiencing a marine heatwave. Sea surface temperatures in the Celtic Sea, English Channel, and Southern North Sea are 1.5C to 3C above 1982-2012 average. The marine heatwave is predicted to last until the end of August. A recent BBC study also revealed that the surface temperature of UK waters has risen by 0.2C, from the start of the year up until the end of July in 2025. The English seaside town with no arcades or rides but named the best in the UK 4 Clacton-on-Sea and beaches along the Essex coast also have warm sea waters 4 Essex can be hotter because of its dry and sunny weather, and proximity to the European continent Credit: Alamy The two beaches that have the warmest waters are along the Channel coast, in Camber Sands and Hastings. The beaches along the southern coast of England tends to be warmer than Essex, especially in the winter months, due to its more southerly location. Both coastlines are influenced by the Gulf Stream - which is a powerful warm ocean current that carries heat from the tropics towards the North Atlantic. However, some of the warmest waters actually surround Essex including beaches like Clacton-on-Sea and those near Mersea Island. In the summertime, the Essex coast is warmer than most of the UK because of its proximity to mainland Europe. The drier and sunnier conditions that come with that causes water temperatures to rise. According to the current water temperature in Clacton-on-Sea, it's 18.7C. The data further reveals that the warmest sea temperatures today are in Thorpeness, Sizewell, Parkeston, Walton-on-the-Naze and Manningtree - which are all along the east coast of England and sit at 19C. Meanwhile in Sandwick, Scotland, sea temperatures are as low as 11.9C. While 19C does sound warm, it can still be a shock for your body, so be mindful before you dive in headfirst. A guide by The Outdoor Swimming Society has rankings of what various water temperatures mean - and how prepared for cold waters you should be. 0-6C is considered 'baltic', you'll need a wetsuit and it's unlikely you'll swim too far because it's so cold. 6-11C is 'freezing', still cold but a more manageable temperature. 12-16C is 'fresh' and quite enjoyable for open water lovers. 17-20C is considered 'summer swimming' and this will be the temperature of lakes and rivers rather than the sea itself. 21C is 'warm' and 30C is 'pool temperature'. When taking children to the beach, be aware that they are less tolerant of cold water than adults and struggle to regulate body temperature more. 4 Take care before swimming by looking up the temperature of the water Credit: Alamy So it's safer for them to stick to paddling and splashing in the shallows than swimming further out. You can check the temperature of the sea with apps like Magic Seaweed, Windy, Seaside Buoy and Sea Water Temperature. It's also worth considering taking a look at the quality of the waters before diving in. Here you can find out the 93 cleanest beaches in England and Wales where you can swim without worrying about sewage. Plus, here's the world's 50 best beaches, and two are in England.
