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Japan Today
12-08-2025
- Climate
- Japan Today
Parts of Europe burn as millions are facing record heat
Local farmer Turkan Ozkan cries next to her destroyed home after a fire in Guzelyeli, in the outskirts of Canakkale, northwest Turkey, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) By SUMAN NAISHADHAM 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 releases 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% 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 kilometers (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 hospitalizations due to smoke exposure, officials said. 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. In Greece, seven major wildfires mostly in the west forced multiple evacuations, destroying homes and businesses, while flames reached the outskirts of the country's third largest city. The fire service scrambled resources to the port city of Patras where a forest fire burning through mountain forest threatened an industrial area. High winds hindered firefighting efforts on the islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia, where authorities were on standby to evacuate tourist resorts which were not in immediate danger. Other severe fires burned in several areas on the western Greek mainland and on the island of Chios in the eastern Aegean Sea. Nationwide, the civil protection service issued more than 20 mobile phone alerts Tuesday with evacuation orders and guidance. 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 heat wave 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. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BreakingNews.ie
24-04-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Istanbul residents spend night outdoors after strong earthquake and aftershocks
Many Istanbul residents spent the night outdoors, too fearful to return to their homes, following a strong earthquake and more than 180 aftershocks. The magnitude 6.2 quake tremor that struck on Wednesday deeply impacted the city of 16 million residents, leaving many inhabitants shaken and wary of a possible more destructive tremor. Advertisement There were no reports of serious damage, but the earthquake, the strongest felt in Istanbul in recent years, prompted widespread panic and scores of injuries. Residents camped in their cars and in open spaces amid fears over further tremors (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) The earthquake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometres (about six miles), according to the United States Geological Survey, with its epicentre about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in several neighbouring provinces. At least 236 people were treated for injuries they suffered while trying to jump from buildings or for panic attacks. Most of the injuries were in Istanbul, where residents remain on edge because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake. In fear of a stronger earthquake that could demolish homes, residents sought refuge by sleeping in their cars or setting up tents in parks and other open spaces. Many lit campfires to keep warm after the temperature dipped. Advertisement Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. For many, the memory of a devastating earthquake that struck 11 southern and southeastern provinces two years ago remains vivid. Hundreds of people were injured in the earthquake, either by jumping from heights to escape buildings or injuries sustained in pain,c including panic attacks (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6 2023, claimed more than 53,000 lives and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria. The Turkish disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD, said Wednesday's earthquake was followed by 184 aftershocks — seven of them of a magnitude four or stronger. Advertisement Environment, urbanisation and climate change minister Murat Kurum stated that authorities had received 378 reports of structural damage in various buildings. At least 12 buildings had been evacuated as a precautionary measure, he said. Only one building — a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city's historic Fatih district — collapsed. Germany's GFZ seismological research institute said the earthquake was the strongest in the area in more than 25 years and extended the fault zone towards Istanbul. Advertisement The institute said the development presented two possibilities: either the region could experience a temporary decrease in seismic activity, or the stress caused by the earthquake could lead to a more destructive tremor. 'The area beneath the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul is the only area of the entire plate boundary that hasn't generated a strong earthquake in over 250 years and is therefore overdue for an earthquake with a magnitude of up to 7.4,' the seismology centre said.
Irish Examiner
24-04-2025
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Istanbul residents spend night outdoors after strong earthquake and aftershocks
Many Istanbul residents spent the night outdoors, too fearful to return to their homes, following a strong earthquake and more than 180 aftershocks. The magnitude 6.2 quake tremor that struck on Wednesday deeply impacted the city of 16 million residents, leaving many inhabitants shaken and wary of a possible more destructive tremor. There were no reports of serious damage, but the earthquake, the strongest felt in Istanbul in recent years, prompted widespread panic and scores of injuries. Residents camped in their cars and in open spaces amid fears over further tremors (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) The earthquake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometres (about six miles), according to the United States Geological Survey, with its epicentre about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in several neighbouring provinces. At least 236 people were treated for injuries they suffered while trying to jump from buildings or for panic attacks. Most of the injuries were in Istanbul, where residents remain on edge because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake. In fear of a stronger earthquake that could demolish homes, residents sought refuge by sleeping in their cars or setting up tents in parks and other open spaces. Many lit campfires to keep warm after the temperature dipped. Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. For many, the memory of a devastating earthquake that struck 11 southern and southeastern provinces two years ago remains vivid. Hundreds of people were injured in the earthquake, either by jumping from heights to escape buildings or injuries sustained in pain,c including panic attacks (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6 2023, claimed more than 53,000 lives and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria. The Turkish disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD, said Wednesday's earthquake was followed by 184 aftershocks — seven of them of a magnitude four or stronger. Environment, urbanisation and climate change minister Murat Kurum stated that authorities had received 378 reports of structural damage in various buildings. At least 12 buildings had been evacuated as a precautionary measure, he said. Only one building — a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city's historic Fatih district — collapsed. Germany's GFZ seismological research institute said the earthquake was the strongest in the area in more than 25 years and extended the fault zone towards Istanbul. The institute said the development presented two possibilities: either the region could experience a temporary decrease in seismic activity, or the stress caused by the earthquake could lead to a more destructive tremor. 'The area beneath the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul is the only area of the entire plate boundary that hasn't generated a strong earthquake in over 250 years and is therefore overdue for an earthquake with a magnitude of up to 7.4,' the seismology centre said.
BreakingNews.ie
23-04-2025
- Climate
- BreakingNews.ie
Hundreds treated for injuries as earthquake rocks Istanbul
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook Istanbul and other areas of Turkey, prompting widespread panic and scores of injuries in the city of 16 million people, though there were no immediate reports of serious damage. At least 236 people were treated for injuries they suffered while trying to jump from buildings or for panic attacks, most of them in Istanbul, where residents are on tenterhooks because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake. Advertisement The earthquake had a shallow depth of six miles, according to the United States Geological Survey, with its epicentre about 25 miles southwest of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Tekirdag, Yalova, Bursa and Balikesir and in the coastal city of Izmir, some 340 miles south of Istanbul. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the earthquake lasted 13 seconds and was followed by more than 100 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.9 in magnitude. People gather outdoors following the quake (Khalil Hamra/AP) The quake started at 12.49pm on Wednesday, a public holiday, when many children were out of school and celebrating in the streets of Istanbul. Advertisement Panicked residents rushed from their homes and buildings into the streets. Authorities urged residents to avoid entering buildings that might have been damaged and said sports halls and mosques would be open to house residents not wanting to spend the night in their homes. 'A total of 236 citizens were affected by panic attacks and from falls or from jumping,' Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said. He said 173 of the injuries were in Istanbul while the rest were in surrounding provinces. Advertisement Authorities had received 378 reports of 'structural damage' in various buildings, said Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, adding that 12 buildings were evacuated as a precaution. Only one building, a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city's historic Fatih district, had collapsed, officials said. Many residents flocked to parks, schoolyards and other open areas to avoid being near buildings in case of collapse or subsequent earthquakes. Some people pitched tents in parks. Advertisement 'Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now,' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an event marking the National Sovereignty and Children's Day holiday. 'May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents and troubles.' Leyla Ucar, a personal trainer, said she was exercising with her student on the 20th floor of a building when they felt intense shaking. 'We shook incredibly. It threw us around, we couldn't understand what was happening, we didn't think of an earthquake at first because of the shock,' she said. Advertisement 'It was very scary.' Senol Sari, 51, said he was with his children in the living room of their third floor apartment when he heard a loud noise and the building started shaking. They fled to a nearby park where they 'waited for it to pass', Mr Sari said. They later were able to return home calmly, Mr Sari said, but remain worried that a bigger quake will someday strike the city. 'Our concerns continue,' he said. Cihan Boztepe, 40, hurriedly fled to the streets with his family to avoid a potential collapse of their building. Standing next to his sobbing child, Mr Boztepe said that in 2023, he was living in Batman province, an area close to the southern part of Turkey where major quakes struck at the time. Wednesday's tremor felt weaker, and he was not as scared. 'At first we were shaken, then it stopped, then we were shaken again,' he said. 'My children were a little scared, but I wasn't. 'We quickly gathered our things and went down to a safe place.' Education Minister Yusuf Tekin announced that schools would be closed on Thursday and Friday in Istanbul but that 'in line with the need for a safe space, our school gardens are open to the use of all our citizens'. Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6 2023, and a second powerful tremor hours later, killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria. People gather following the quake (Khalil Hamra/AP) Istanbul was not impacted by that earthquake, but the devastation heightened fears of a similar quake, with experts citing the city's proximity to fault lines. In a bid to prevent damage from any future quake, the national government and local administrations started urban reconstruction projects to fortify buildings at risk and launched campaigns to demolish those at risk of collapse. Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul who was jailed last month on corruption charges, released a statement through his lawyers, expressing his sadness at not being able to be with the city's residents. 'As managers and urban planners who have dedicated their lives to disaster-focused planning in Istanbul and who have struggled for this purpose, my greatest sadness is that we can't be with you,' the mayor said. Many view the arrest of the politician, considered a key rival to Mr Erdogan, as being politically motivated. The government insists the courts operate independently. On Wednesday, long queues formed at petrol stations as residents, planning to leave Istanbul, rushed to fill up their vehicles. Among them was Emre Senkay who said he might leave if a more severe earthquake strikes later in the day. 'My plan is to leave Istanbul if there is a more serious earthquake,' he said.
Irish Examiner
23-04-2025
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Hundreds treated for injuries as earthquake rocks Istanbul
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook Istanbul and other areas of Turkey, prompting widespread panic and scores of injuries in the city of 16 million people, though there were no immediate reports of serious damage. At least 236 people were treated for injuries they suffered while trying to jump from buildings or for panic attacks, most of them in Istanbul, where residents are on tenterhooks because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake. The earthquake had a shallow depth of six miles, according to the United States Geological Survey, with its epicentre about 25 miles southwest of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Tekirdag, Yalova, Bursa and Balikesir and in the coastal city of Izmir, some 340 miles south of Istanbul. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the earthquake lasted 13 seconds and was followed by more than 100 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.9 in magnitude. People gather outdoors following the quake (Khalil Hamra/AP) The quake started at 12.49pm on Wednesday, a public holiday, when many children were out of school and celebrating in the streets of Istanbul. Panicked residents rushed from their homes and buildings into the streets. Authorities urged residents to avoid entering buildings that might have been damaged and said sports halls and mosques would be open to house residents not wanting to spend the night in their homes. 'A total of 236 citizens were affected by panic attacks and from falls or from jumping,' Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said. He said 173 of the injuries were in Istanbul while the rest were in surrounding provinces. Authorities had received 378 reports of 'structural damage' in various buildings, said Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, adding that 12 buildings were evacuated as a precaution. Only one building, a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city's historic Fatih district, had collapsed, officials said. Many residents flocked to parks, schoolyards and other open areas to avoid being near buildings in case of collapse or subsequent earthquakes. Some people pitched tents in parks. 'Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now,' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an event marking the National Sovereignty and Children's Day holiday. 'May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents and troubles.' Leyla Ucar, a personal trainer, said she was exercising with her student on the 20th floor of a building when they felt intense shaking. 'We shook incredibly. It threw us around, we couldn't understand what was happening, we didn't think of an earthquake at first because of the shock,' she said. 'It was very scary.' Senol Sari, 51, said he was with his children in the living room of their third floor apartment when he heard a loud noise and the building started shaking. They fled to a nearby park where they 'waited for it to pass', Mr Sari said. They later were able to return home calmly, Mr Sari said, but remain worried that a bigger quake will someday strike the city. 'Our concerns continue,' he said. Cihan Boztepe, 40, hurriedly fled to the streets with his family to avoid a potential collapse of their building. Standing next to his sobbing child, Mr Boztepe said that in 2023, he was living in Batman province, an area close to the southern part of Turkey where major quakes struck at the time. Wednesday's tremor felt weaker, and he was not as scared. 'At first we were shaken, then it stopped, then we were shaken again,' he said. 'My children were a little scared, but I wasn't. 'We quickly gathered our things and went down to a safe place.' Education Minister Yusuf Tekin announced that schools would be closed on Thursday and Friday in Istanbul but that 'in line with the need for a safe space, our school gardens are open to the use of all our citizens'. Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6 2023, and a second powerful tremor hours later, killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria. People gather following the quake (Khalil Hamra/AP) Istanbul was not impacted by that earthquake, but the devastation heightened fears of a similar quake, with experts citing the city's proximity to fault lines. In a bid to prevent damage from any future quake, the national government and local administrations started urban reconstruction projects to fortify buildings at risk and launched campaigns to demolish those at risk of collapse. Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul who was jailed last month on corruption charges, released a statement through his lawyers, expressing his sadness at not being able to be with the city's residents. 'As managers and urban planners who have dedicated their lives to disaster-focused planning in Istanbul and who have struggled for this purpose, my greatest sadness is that we can't be with you,' the mayor said. Many view the arrest of the politician, considered a key rival to Mr Erdogan, as being politically motivated. The government insists the courts operate independently. On Wednesday, long queues formed at petrol stations as residents, planning to leave Istanbul, rushed to fill up their vehicles. Among them was Emre Senkay who said he might leave if a more severe earthquake strikes later in the day. 'My plan is to leave Istanbul if there is a more serious earthquake,' he said.
