Latest news with #IbrahimYumakli
Daily Tribune
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Tribune
Rescuers evacuate 50,000 as Turkey battles wildfires
Rescuers in Turkey have evacuated more than 50,000 people, mostly from the western province of Izmir, as firefighters battled a string of wildfires, the AFAD disaster agency said Monday. The worst blaze began Sunday in Seferihisar, a forested area 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of the resort city of Izmir, spreading rapidly with winds of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour, officials said. "A total of over 50,000 citizens from 41 settlements have been temporarily relocated to safe areas," AFAD wrote on X, saying 79 people had been affected by smoke and other fire-related issues, none seriously. Of that number, 42,300 were evacuated from Seferihisar, where TV footage showed huge areas of flame raging through forested areas, sending vast clouds of black smoke into the sky. Overnight, around 20 evacuated homes were gutted by the blaze, with only the walls left standing, footage on private TV network NTV showed. Residents in the seaside village of Urkmez had on Sunday felled trees to create firebreaks and protect their homes as the flames advanced, a witness told AFP. "Unfortunately, the wind is continuing to blow very strongly," Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters on Monday afternoon. The Turkish State Meteorological Service warned about strong winds over the weekend. Flights briefly suspended Yumakli said more than 1,000 people had been drafted in to tackle the blaze with four planes, 14 helicopters and 106 fire trucks. AFAD said another 3,000 residents were evacuated from Manisa, 40 kilometres north of Izmir. Another 1,500 people were forced out of their homes in the southern Hatay region, where four helicopters, 211 fire engines and 540 firefighters were fighting a blaze some 10 kilometres north of the city of Antakya, the governor said. Around 850 others were forced to flee from two other wildfires in northwestern Turkey, AFAD said. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X that one person had been arrested for allegedly starting one of the wildfires in the Izmir area with gaso - line. " The suspect is alleged to have set fire to their own residence, (which) subsequently caused a forest fire," he wrote, without giving further details. Since Friday, 263 fires had broken out across Turkey, of which 259 were under control while efforts were ongoing to fight the remaining four, the agriculture and forestry ministry said. Izmir airport, which temporarily suspended flights on Sunday, resumed operations, Turkish media reported. Wildfires have ravaged nearly 19,000 hectares of land across Turkey so far this year, according to website of the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more frequent and more intense wildfires and other natural disasters, and have warned Turkey to take measures to tackle the problem.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
How heatwave grip UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France and oda parts of Europe
Two pipo don die for Italy as temperatures continue to rise. Both Portugal and Spain record dia hottest June ever as scorching temperatures continue to grip Europe. UK also record dia hottest day of di year. Met Office tok say dem record a temperature of 33.6C for Frittenden, Kent. Spain national weather service Aemet tok say di kontri "extremely hot" June 2025 "don break records", wey surpass di normal average for July and August. Di Portuguese meteorological service say 46.6C na di highest temperature dem record for June. Elsewhere on di continent on Tuesday, 1 July, authorities evacuate tens of thousands of pipo sake of wildfires for western Turkey, while two die for Italy following separate heat-related deaths. Overnight, di Aemet meteorological agency say several places across di Iberian Peninsula don top 43C but add say di temperature fit come down on Thursday. Night-time temperatures dem record overnight into Tuesday hit 28C for Seville and 27C for Barcelona. For Turkey, rescuers evacuated more dan 50,000 pipo - mostly from di western province of Izmir - as firefighters continue to put out hundreds of wildfires wey break out in recent days. Fires don also sweep through parts of Bilecik, Hatay, Sakarya, and Manisa provinces. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli tok say ova di past three days, emergency teams don respond to 263 wildfires nationwide. For France, many cities bin experience dia hottest night and day on record for June on Monday, but forecasters tok say di heatwave dey expected to peak on Tuesday. Dem close di top of di Eiffel Tower for Paris has been sake of di intense European heatwave; while Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher call am "unprecedented" situation. For di first time in five years, di Paris region bin activate a red alert, along wit 15 oda French regions. Di Ministry of Education say dem go partially or completely close 1,350 public schools on Tuesday. Mora for Portugal bin record 46.6 C (115.9F), about 60 miles east of Lisbon on Sunday. Portuguese weather officials dey work to confam if new record go break for June. For Italy, di Tuscany region don see rise for di number of pipo wey dey hospital admissions by 20%, according to local reports. Italians for 21 out of di 27 cities don dey subjected to di highest heat alert. Authorities don advise 13 regions, wey include Lombardy and Emilia, say make dem no go outside during di hottest periods of di day. For Lombardy, dem don ban working outdoors from 12:30 to 16:00 on hot days on building sites, roads and farms until September. Temperatures for Greece don dey approach 40C for several days and wildfires hit several coastal towns near di capital Athens dey destroy homes and dat dey force pipo to evacuate. England experience hottest June on record - Met Office England don experience dia warmest June on record, Met Office announce on Tuesday, while di UK has a whole see di second warmest June since records start for 1884. For England, mean temperature of 16.9C set one new record for di hottest temperature experienced for di month of June. According to provisional data, di Met Office say di whole of di UK mean temperature of 15.2C na di second highest on record for June. Met Office add: "Average daily maximum temperatures also dey well-above di long-term meteorological average for June, wit England recording dia third highest and UK dia sixth highest average temperature since 1884." For Germany, di kontri meteorological service warn say di temperatures fit reach almost 38C on Tuesday and Wednesday - further potentially record-breaking temperatures. Di heatwave go down for Rhine River - one major shipping route – wey reduce di amount cargo ships wey fit transport and raising freighting costs. Kontris in and around di Balkans also dey struggle wit di intense heat, although temperatures don begin cool. Dem also report wildfires for Montenegro. While di heatwave na potential health issue, e also dey impact di environment. Higher temperatures for di Adriatic Sea dey encourage invasive species like di poisonous lionfish, e also dey cause further stress on alpine glaciers wey already dey shrink at record rates. UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, bin sama warning on Monday say di heatwave don highlight di need for climate adaptation. "Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts, and wildfires threaten our rights to life, to health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and much more," e tell di UN Human Rights Council. Heatwaves dey become more common due to human-caused climate change, according to di UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Extreme hot weather go continue to happun – and go become even more intense - as di planet continue to warm, e tok. Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science for di University of Reading for UK, explain say di rising greenhouse gas levels dey make am harder for di planet to lose excess heat. "Di warmer, thirstier atmosphere dey more effective at drying soils, wey mean say heatwaves dey intensify, wit moderate heat events now becoming extreme." In pictures: Europe endure scorching heatwave
MTV Lebanon
7 hours ago
- Climate
- MTV Lebanon
Two Dead in Italy as Heatwave Scorches Much of Europe
Two people have died in Italy as temperatures continue to soar amid an intense heatwave across Europe. In Bologna a 47-year-old died after falling ill on a construction site while a 70-year-old man was reported drowned during flash flooding at a tourist resort to the west of Turin. Elsewhere on the continent, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated because of wildfires in western Turkey, while the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris has been closed because of the heatwave. Parts of Spain and Portugal recorded their highest ever June temperatures, with 46C registered at El Granado in south-west Spain, a day after records were broken in Mora in central Portugal. Spain's Aemet meteorological agency said that several places across the Iberian peninsula had topped 43C, but a respite in temperatures was on its way from Thursday. Night-time temperatures recorded overnight into Tuesday hit 28C in Seville and 27C in Barcelona. In Turkey, rescuers evacuated more than 50,000 people - mostly from the western province of Izmir - as firefighters continued to put out hundreds of wildfires that had broken out in recent days. Fires have also swept through parts of Bilecik, Hatay, Sakarya, and Manisa provinces. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said over the past three days, emergency teams had responded to 263 wildfires nationwide. In France, many cities experienced their hottest night and day on record for June on Monday, but forecasters have said the heatwave should expect to peak on Tuesday. Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher called an "unprecedented" situation. For first time in five years the Paris region has activated a red alert, along with 15 other French regions. The Ministry of Education has said 1,350 public schools will either be partially or completely closed on Tuesday. A reading of 46.6 C (115.9F) was registered in Mora, Portugal, about 60 miles east of Lisbon on Sunday. Portuguese weather officials were working to confirm whether that marked a new record for June. In Italy, the Tuscany region has seen hospital admissions rise by 20%, according to local reports. Italians in 21 out of the 27 cities have been subjected to the highest heat alert and 13 regions, including Lombardy and Emilia, have been advised not to venture outside during the hottest periods of the day. In Lombardy, working outdoors has been banned from 12:30 to 16:00 on hot days on building sites, roads and farms until September. Temperatures in Greece have been approaching 40C for several days and wildfires hit several coastal towns near the capital Athens destroying homes and forcing people to evacuate. Parts of the UK were just shy of being one of the hottest June days ever on Monday. The highest UK temperature of the day was recorded at Heathrow Airport in London at 33.1C. Meanwhile, Wimbledon recorded a temperature of 32.9C, the tennis tournament's hottest opening day on record. In Germany, the country's meteorological service warned that temperatures could reach almost 38C on Tuesday and Wednesday - further potentially record-breaking temperatures. The heatwave lowered levels in the Rhine River - a major shipping route - limiting the amount cargo ships can transport and raising freighting costs. Countries in and around the Balkans have also been struggling with the intense heat, although temperatures have begun to cool. Wildfires have also been reported in Montenegro. While the heatwave is a potential health issue, it is also impacting the environment. Higher temperatures in the Adriatic Sea are encouraging invasive species such as the poisonous lionfish, while also causing further stress on alpine glaciers that are already shrinking at record rates. The UN's human rights chief, Volker Turk, warned on Monday that the heatwave highlighted the need for climate adaptation - moving away from practices and energy sources, such as fossil fuels, which are the main cause of climate change. "Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts, and wildfires threaten our rights to life, to health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and much more," he told the UN's Human Rights Council. Heatwaves are becoming more common due to human-caused climate change, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Extreme hot weather will happen more often – and become even more intense - as the planet continues to warm, it has said. Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading in the UK, explained that rising greenhouse gas levels are making it harder for the planet to lose excess heat. "The warmer, thirstier atmosphere is more effective at drying soils, meaning heatwaves are intensifying, with moderate heat events now becoming extreme."
Gulf Today
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Gulf Today
Turkey evacuates over 50,000 people from regions affected by wildfires
Turkey has evacuated more than 50,000 people from regions affected by forest fires across the country, with the western province of Izmir accounting for the majority of evacuations, the country's disaster agency said on Monday. Fires have swept through parts of Izmir, Bilecik, Hatay, Sakarya, and Manisa provinces, prompting authorities to relocate residents from 41 different settlements to temporary safe zones, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on Monday that the blaze was fanned overnight by winds reaching 40-50kmph (25-30mph) in Kuyucak and Doganbey areas of Izmir. Firefighters work to extinguish wildfire in Sakarya. AFP Over the past three days, emergency teams have responded to 263 wildfires nationwide, Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said during a press briefing in Izmir on Monday. Later on Monday, the AFAD disaster agency said on X that "a total of over 50,000 citizens from 41 settlements have been temporarily relocated to safe areas', saying most of them were from fires raging near the western resort of Izmir. Helicopters, fire-extinguishing aircraft and other vehicles, and more than 1,000 people were trying to extinguish the fires, Yumakli told reporters in Izmir. Helicopters spray water to extinguish a fire in Seferihisar, near Izmir. AP The worst blaze began Sunday in Seferihisar, a forested area 50 kilometres southwest of the resort city of Izmir, spreading rapidly with winds of up to 120 kilometres per hour, officials said. Overnight, around 20 evacuated homes were gutted by the blaze, with only the walls left standing, footage on private TV network NTV showed. Residents in the seaside village of Urkmez had on Sunday felled trees to create firebreaks and protect their homes as the flames advanced, a witness told AFP. "Unfortunately, the wind is continuing to blow very strongly," Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters on Monday afternoon. The Turkish State Meteorological Service warned about strong winds over the weekend. FLIGHTS BRIEFLY SUSPENDED Yumakli said more than 1,000 people had been drafted in to tackle the blaze with four planes, 14 helicopters and 106 fire trucks. Villagers try to put out the fire after a wildfire broke out in Seferihisar district in Izmir. AFP AFAD said another 3,000 residents were evacuated from Manisa, 40 kilometres north of Izmir. Another 1,500 people were forced out of their homes in the southern Hatay region, where four helicopters, 211 fire engines and 540 firefighters were fighting a blaze some 10 kilometres north of the city of Antakya, the governor said. Around 850 others were forced to flee from two other wildfires in northwestern Turkey, AFAD said. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X that one person had been arrested for allegedly starting one of the wildfires in the Izmir area with gasoline. "The suspect is alleged to have set fire to their own residence, (which) subsequently caused a forest fire," he wrote, without giving further details. WAM / AFP
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Two dead in Italy as heatwave scorches much of Europe
Two people have died in Italy as temperatures continue to soar amid an intense heatwave across Europe. In Bologna a 47-year-old died after falling ill on a construction site while a 70-year-old man was reported drowned during flash flooding at a tourist resort to the west of Turin. Elsewhere on the continent, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated because of wildfires in western Turkey, while the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris has been closed because of the heatwave. Parts of Spain and Portugal recorded their highest ever June temperatures, with 46C registered at El Granado in south-west Spain, a day after records were broken in Mora in central Portugal. Spain's Aemet meteorological agency said that several places across the Iberian peninsula had topped 43C, but a respite in temperatures was on its way from Thursday. Night-time temperatures recorded overnight into Tuesday hit 28C in Seville and 27C in Barcelona. In Turkey, rescuers evacuated more than 50,000 people - mostly from the western province of Izmir - as firefighters continued to put out hundreds of wildfires that had broken out in recent days. Fires have also swept through parts of Bilecik, Hatay, Sakarya, and Manisa provinces. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said over the past three days, emergency teams had responded to 263 wildfires nationwide. In France, many cities experienced their hottest night and day on record for June on Monday, but forecasters have said the heatwave should expect to peak on Tuesday. Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher called an "unprecedented" situation. For first time in five years the Paris region has activated a red alert, along with 15 other French regions. The Ministry of Education has said 1,350 public schools will either be partially or completely closed on Tuesday. A reading of 46.6 C (115.9F) was registered in Mora, Portugal, about 60 miles east of Lisbon on Sunday. Portuguese weather officials were working to confirm whether that marked a new record for June. In Italy, the Tuscany region has seen hospital admissions rise by 20%, according to local reports. Italians in 21 out of the 27 cities have been subjected to the highest heat alert and 13 regions, including Lombardy and Emilia, have been advised not to venture outside during the hottest periods of the day. In Lombardy, working outdoors has been banned from 12:30 to 16:00 on hot days on building sites, roads and farms until September. Temperatures in Greece have been approaching 40C for several days and wildfires hit several coastal towns near the capital Athens destroying homes and forcing people to evacuate. Parts of the UK were just shy of being one of the hottest June days ever on Monday. The highest UK temperature of the day was recorded at Heathrow Airport in London at 33.1C. Meanwhile, Wimbledon recorded a temperature of 32.9C, the tennis tournament's hottest opening day on record. In Germany, the country's meteorological service warned that temperatures could reach almost 38C on Tuesday and Wednesday - further potentially record-breaking temperatures. The heatwave lowered levels in the Rhine River - a major shipping route - limiting the amount cargo ships can transport and raising freighting costs. Countries in and around the Balkans have also been struggling with the intense heat, although temperatures have begun to cool. Wildfires have also been reported in Montenegro. While the heatwave is a potential health issue, it is also impacting the environment. Higher temperatures in the Adriatic Sea are encouraging invasive species such as the poisonous lionfish, while also causing further stress on alpine glaciers that are already shrinking at record rates. The UN's human rights chief, Volker Turk, warned on Monday that the heatwave highlighted the need for climate adaptation - moving away from practices and energy sources, such as fossil fuels, which are the main cause of climate change. "Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts, and wildfires threaten our rights to life, to health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and much more," he told the UN's Human Rights Council. Heatwaves are becoming more common due to human-caused climate change, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Extreme hot weather will happen more often – and become even more intense - as the planet continues to warm, it has said. Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading in the UK, explained that rising greenhouse gas levels are making it harder for the planet to lose excess heat. "The warmer, thirstier atmosphere is more effective at drying soils, meaning heatwaves are intensifying, with moderate heat events now becoming extreme." Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
