Heat Wave Triggers Weather and Wildfire Alerts Across Europe
The highest red heat alerts have been issued for 12 departments in southwest France, where temperatures as high as 43C (109F) are forecast for areas near Bordeaux and Toulouse on Monday and Tuesday. Amber heat warnings are in place for a swath of the Mediterranean from Spain and Italy to Greece, as a high-pressure system is amplified by former tropical storm Dexter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
2 minutes ago
- News24
Greece fights massive wildfire crisis as heatwave devastates southern Europe
Greece struggled to control over 20 wildfires, including one near its third-largest city, Patras, fueled by a severe heatwave affecting southern Europe. Fires led to widespread evacuations, hospitalisations for respiratory problems and burns, and damage to tourist locations. The heatwave affecting Greece, Spain, Portugal, Britain, and other nations has been linked to climate change. Greece on Wednesday battled to contain more than 20 wildfires including one menacing its third-largest city Patras as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe. Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Balkans and Britain have this week wilted in high temperatures that fuel wildfires and which scientists say human-induced climate change is intensifying. Since dawn on Wednesday, 4 850 firefighters and 33 planes were mobilised across Greece on what promised to be 'a very difficult day', fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. A fire near the ancient Mycenaean archaeological site of Voudeni, just 7km from Patras, threatened forested zones and homes, and the area was covered by a thick cloud of smoke, an AFP journalist reported. Fierce wind 'is hampering the task of water bombers, and is making collecting water at sea more difficult', the president of the firefighter officers' union, Kostas Tsigkas, told public broadcaster ERT. READ | 3 dead, thousands evacuate as huge wildfires, heatwave hit Europe In the western Achaia region in the Peloponnese, to which the coastal city of Patras belongs, around 20 villages were evacuated on Tuesday. Other fronts were burning on the popular tourist island of Zante and the Aegean island of Chios, scarred by a huge wildfire in June that ravaged more than 4 000 hectares. The Greek coastguard said it had helped evacuate nearly 80 people from Chios and near Patras. The national ambulance service reported 52 hospitalisations from Achaia, Chios and the western town of Preveza, including 'a small number of firefighters', mostly for respiratory problems and minor burns. Temperatures are due to come close to 40°C in parts of western Greece on Wednesday, including the northwest Peloponnese, national weather service EMY forecast. After Greece requested four water bombers from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to bolster its resources, leftist opposition party Syriza criticised the conservative government's preparation for the fires that hit every year. Greece needed 'a bold redistribution of resources in favour of civil protection', an 'emphasis on prevention', better coordination and new technologies in its civil protection system, Syriza said. 'Worst breeding ground' At the other end of the Mediterranean, wildfires continued to dominate the news in Spain, where cooler temperatures and greater humidity were expected to help control blazes in which two people have died. Authorities in the northwestern region of Castile and Leon, where flames have threatened a world heritage Roman mining site, said almost 6 000 people from 26 localities had been evacuated from their homes. Bushy undergrowth and searing temperatures that have baked Spain for almost two weeks had created 'the worst possible breeding ground for this situation', Castile and Leon's civil protection head Irene Cortes said. Costas Baltas/Anadolu via Getty Images A total of 199 wildfires have scorched nearly 98 784 hectares across Spain this year, more than double the area burned during the same period in 2024. Neighbouring Portugal deployed more than 1 800 firefighters and around 20 aircraft against five major blazes, with efforts focused on a blaze in the central municipality of Trancoso that has raged since Saturday. Strong gusts of wind had rekindled flames overnight and threatened nearby villages, where television images showed locals volunteering to help the firefighters under a thick cloud of smoke. 'It's scary... but we are always ready to help each other,' a mask-wearing farmer told Sic Noticias television, holding a spade in his hand. Italian firefighters had extinguished a blaze that burned for five days on the famed Mount Vesuvius and spewed plumes of smoke over the Naples area. In Britain, temperatures were expected to peak at 34°C in the country's fourth heatwave of the summer. The UK Health Security Agency warned of 'significant impacts' on health and social care services for the parts of central and southeastern England where the harshest heat was forecast.
Bloomberg
31 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
UK Wind Power Slumps as Scorching Weather Flags Renewable Risks
Britain's wind turbines ground to a near halt this week, as another heat wave brought calm conditions and forced the nation to switch to gas for power generation. Wind accounted for just 5% of electricity output Wednesday, with gas climbing to more than a third, according to data from the National Energy System Operator. In the wind-farm heartland of northern Scotland, gas contributed 71% of generation, with wind at 29%.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
50-acre wildfire east of Boise quickly spreads, prompting evacuation alerts
This is a breaking news story. Check back to for updates. To sign up for breaking news alerts, click here. A quickly growing wildfire prompted evacuation alerts for residents around Robie Creek, a rural community east of Boise on Idaho 21. The Boise County Sheriff's Office issued the most severe evacuation order — Level 3 'Go Now!' — around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for residents in the Robie Creek Area, which includes Lower Robie, Flowing Springs and Burnett Lane, but dropped the order to Level 2 by 7:30 p.m. and to Level 1 by 9:15 p.m. Those in Wilderness Ranch, a subdivision north of Robie Creek, also reached Level 2, which means being ready to evacuate at any moment. All alerts were at Level 1, 'Be ready,' as of 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, the sheriff's office reported on Facebook. Residents evacuating must travel toward Clear Creek Road to leave the area, as Robie Creek Road is blocked, the sheriff's office said. The Idaho City Rodeo Ground is open for those in the area needing a place to keep their livestock. Just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the wildfire began along Robie Creek Road at mile marker 3.5, spreading within 30 minutes and quickly triggering evacuations, according to the sheriff's office. Within 15 minutes, the evacuation order jumped to the most severe level. The Idaho Department of Lands said in a news release that the fire was estimated at 50 acres, and one structure has been impacted. Three engines from the Idaho Department of Lands, two U.S. Forest Service engines and a Forest Service crew responded to assist the Robie Creek Fire Department, the Thorn Creek Fire Department and the Wilderness Ranch Fire Department. Aerial resources are being used to attack the fire, along with water from Lucky Peak Lake. People are asked to 'keep clear of the area.' The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to the Idaho Department of Lands. Updates on the evacuations will be posted on the Boise County Sheriff's Office Facebook page at: Investigative reporter Nicole Blanchard contributed.
