Spain travel warning as families told to 'take extreme precautions'

Wales Online

3 days ago

Spain travel warning as families told to 'take extreme precautions'
The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued advice to people in Spain urging them to take caution as temperatures soar to 42C in some parts of the country
Temperatures have exceeded 30C in Barcelona
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
An alert has been issued to visitors in Spain regarding extreme heat. The summer break season has arrived and countless families nationwide will be departing for a much-needed holiday.
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Millions of tourists will be travelling to Spain to bask in the summer sun. Nevertheless, Spain is among several Southern nations experiencing blistering temperatures this week. Mercury has climbed to 42C in sought-after destinations like Seville today. Madrid is experiencing 35C whilst Barcelona is anticipated to reach 31C, reports the Liverpool Echo.
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Following the sweltering conditions, the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has released guidance to those in Spain, advising them to exercise care. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
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A translation of the alert stated: "The danger of wildfires continues at very high or extreme levels in most of Spain, despite the likelihood of showers in many areas. We are at the most critical moment of the season. Take extreme precautions."
The alert arrives as blazes have escalated throughout southern Europe. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered his sympathies following the death of a firefighting volunteer in the severely affected Castile and Leon region north of Madrid, where thousands have been forced to relocate due to evacuations.
The administration elevated its national emergency response level, readying additional assistance for regional authorities managing multiple evacuations and significant road closures. Throughout Southern Europe, an overnight struggle ensued to safeguard the outskirts of Greece's third-largest city, with additional fatalities reported in Spain, Turkey and Albania.
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Firefighters near the Greek port city of Patras battled to defend homes and agricultural facilities as fires ravaged olive groves.
With water-dropping aircraft and helicopters flying overhead, locals joined the fight, using cut branches to beat back the flames or dousing them with buckets of water.
Firefighting resources were stretched across many affected nations as they grappled with multiple outbreaks following weeks of heatwaves and temperature surges across Mediterranean Europe.
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Aircraft were rotated between fires on the western Greek mainland, the Patras region and the island of Zakynthos. Athens also provided support to neighbouring Albania, contributing to an international effort to tackle dozens of wildfires.
An 80 year old man perished in a fire south of the Albanian capital, Tirana, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Residents from four villages near a former army ammunition depot in central Albania were evacuated.
In the southern Korca district, close to the Greek border, there were reports of explosions from buried Second World War-era artillery shells.
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A forestry worker was killed on Wednesday while tackling a wildfire in southern Turkey, according to officials. The forestry ministry reported that the worker died in a fire truck accident, which also injured four others.
Turkey has been grappling with devastating wildfires since the end of June. The fires have claimed 18 lives so far, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who tragically lost their lives in July.