Europe is hit by more weather extremes
'There was a huge effort during the night, so now we have a somewhat calmer situation,' Civil Protection Commander Helder Silva told reporters, cautioning that shifting strong winds and a difficult terrain meant their work was far from over. 'It's a very large wildfire in areas with difficult access,' he said.
Further north, a blaze has been raging since Saturday in the Peneda-Geres national park near the Spanish border, enveloping nearby villages in thick smoke that led to orders for residents to stay at home. Portuguese firefighters managed to control two large fires that started on Monday in the central areas of Penamacor and Nisa. Authorities said the Penamacor blaze had destroyed 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest.
In Spain's central province of Avila, shifting gusts of wind hindered efforts by firefighters and a special military unit, emergency services said. Residents in the village of El Arenal, about 100 km (62 miles) west of Madrid, were advised to remain indoors due to heavy smoke. In Mombeltran near Avila, farmer Blas Rodriguez fought back tears as he walked among scorched trees, his olive grove devastated by the fire.
'This land belongs to my father. It burnt 16 years ago but the olive trees were spared from the fire... this time there is no way to save them, everything is completely burnt,' he told Reuters. In the western province of Caceres, the fire has affected 2,500 hectares, prompting evacuations from homes scattered across the Caminomorisco area, authorities said.
Hot and dry summers are common across the region, but more intense heatwaves have contributed to destructive wildfires in recent years amid fast-rising temperatures around the globe. Meanwhile, in Greece a large wildfire is currently ripping through a forest area between Kanali and Monolithi in Preveza. The fire started at approximately 2pm local time (12.00 BST) and quickly grew.
Shortly after the blaze erupted a 112 message was sent to residents of the area warning them to be alert and ready to evacuate if necessary. Residents have complained that emergency aircraft were slow to intervene, resulting in the fire growing in size and destroying a protected area, local media reports. Roughly 40 firefighters are working to tackle the blaze with, 16 vehicles, 4 aircraft and 1 helicopter at the scene.
Water tankers and local government machinery are also helping to extinguish the blaze. Strong winds are reportedly blowing at the site, which makes the work of the Fire Department difficult. The fire has disrupted traffic on the National Highway from the Monolithi Junction to the intersection at Kanali.
It isn't just wildfires wreaking havoc across Europe, but storms and tornadoes too. In Majorca, dramatic footage taken over the weekend shows a tornado striking a beach, sending sand and towels hurtling into the sky as tourists run for cover. Meanwhile, in the Alps, a sudden plunge in temperature caused snowfall overnight in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie. And, in Switzerland on Tuesday, a fisherman captured a video of a spectacular waterspout spiralling high into the clouds over Lake Constance.
It comes after raging wildfires engulfed Turkey outside the country's fourth-largest city - forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes. Flames ripped through the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey overnight on July 26, shining a threatening red glow on the night sky. It marks the latest city to be hit by deadly blazes this summer - as destinations in Greece and Cyprus have also fallen victim to aggressive wildfires amid unseasonably high temperatures.
The governor's office in Bursa said more than 1,760 people were safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed off as surrounding forests burned. Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, likened the scene to 'an apocalypse'. Turkey has been hit by dozens of wildfires every day since late June - with Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli revealing fire crews across the country approached 76 separate blazes yesterday alone.
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