Wildfires rage in Europe as millions swelter under record heat

France 24

6 days ago

Wildfires burned in parts of Europe on Tuesday as millions of people across the continent struggled to adapt to the new reality: record summer heat.
Temperatures in some areas soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
Europe is warming faster than any other continent, at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union 's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Last year was the hottest year on record in Europe and globally, the monitoring agency said.
Scientists warn climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making parts of Europe more vulnerable to wildfires. The burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal release heat-trapping gasses that are the main driver of climate change.
Outside Madrid, firefighters had largely contained a blaze that broke out Monday night, authorities said. It killed a man who suffered burns on 98 percent of his body, emergency services said.
Elsewhere, firefighters and nearly 1,000 soldiers were battling blazes in regions including Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia and Galicia. Thousands of people evacuated homes and hotels, including holiday-goers at beaches at the southern tip of Spain.
Regional authorities said Tuesday afternoon that some of those evacuated from beach locations could return to their hotels.
In Portugal, more than 700 firefighters were working to control a fire in the municipality of Trancoso, about 350 kilometres (217 miles) northeast of Lisbon. Smaller fires were burning further north.
Firefighters largely brought a major wildfire in northwest Turkey under control, the forestry minister announced, a day after the blaze prompted hundreds of evacuations and led to the suspension of maritime traffic.
The blaze broke out on agricultural land in Canakkale province. Fanned by strong winds, it rapidly spread to a forested area, then to a residential one. It forced the evacuation of 2,000 residents – some by sea – and led to 77 hospitalisations due to smoke exposure, officials said.
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Firefighters were still battling two other wildfires in Manisa and Izmir provinces in western Turkey, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on social media.
The national weather authority placed most of France's southern region on the highest heat warning, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) expected for the second consecutive day.
The heat will spread to the northeast, including the Paris region, Meteo France said.
Some municipalities offered free or discounted access to public swimming pools.
Most regions in central and southern France were monitored for the high risk of forest fires, after a deadly blaze last week in the Aude region. Officials said the fire was under control but will not be fully extinguished for weeks, with hot spots at risk of reigniting.
Authorities ordered multiple evacuations due to wildfires on the island of Zakynthos and in nearby areas on the western Greek mainland, as high winds added to the nationwide risk.
Water-dropping planes and helicopters were operating in the Agala area in the southwest of Zakynthos, and evacuations affected a nearby coastal area popular with tourists.
Zakynthos Mayor Giorgos Stasinopoulos appealed to the government to send additional aerial support.
Temperatures were expected to hit 34 Celsius (93.2 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday and Wednesday, especially in southern parts of England, including London.
Officials define a heatwave as temperatures exceeding 25 Celsius for most of the UK – and 28 Celsius in London and its surrounding area – for three consecutive days or more.