Southwest Europe baked under sweltering temperatures on Friday for a fifth
day, with the heat sparking devastating wildfires, forcing the evacuations of
thousands and ruining holidays.
اضافة اعلان
Armies of firefighters battled blazes in France, Portugal and Spain as
Britain braced for "extreme heat" in coming days and even Irish
forecasters predicted a taste of blistering Mediterranean-style summer
temperatures.
As French President Emmanuel Macros vowed authorities would do everything to
mobilise resources to fight the fallout, the Bordeaux public prosecutor
indicated a "criminal" origin was its main line of inquiry for at
least one fire near the southwestern city.
The furnace engulfing swathes of southwest Europe is the second in weeks,
with scientists blaming climate change and predicting more frequent and intense
episodes of extreme weather.
In Portugal, five regions in the centre and north -- where temperatures hit
a July record 47 Celsius on Thursday before dropping back -- were on red
alert again Friday as more than 2,000 firefighters tackled four major
blazes.
As of late Thursday, the fires had killed one person and injured around 60.
Nearly 900 people had been evacuated and several dozen homes damaged or
destroyed, authorities said.
Wildfires have destroyed 30,000 hectares (75,000 acres) of land this year,
the largest area since Portugal's horrific summer of 2017 when around 100
people died.
In neighbouring Spain, where temperatures were as high as 37C by seven am, a
fire that broke out Thursday near the Monfrague National Park, a protected area
renowned for wildlife in the Extremadura region, continued to blaze.
Spanish authorities reported close on 20 fires still raging out of control
with one near Mijas in the deep south, inland from regional capital Malaga,
forcing some 2,300 people to evacuate their homes.
Across the Mediterranean, authorities said one person was found dead in
northern
Morocco as forest fires raged.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted he was "closely following
the evolution of active fires" posing an "extreme risk".
The mercury reached 45.4C in Spain on Thursday, shy of the all-time high of
47.4C registered in August last year.
In southwestern France, flames have destroyed some 7,700 hectares since
Tuesday and forced the evacuation of 11,000 people -- including many
holidaymakers who decided to abandon their vacation rather than remain in
makeshift shelters set up by local authorities.
Southern France, battling temperatures around 40C on Friday, is bracing for
more heat next week with 16 departments already on orange, a severe alert.
- 'Post-apocalyptic'
-
One fire was raging in pine forests near France's Dune du Pilat, Europe's
tallest sand dune and a magnet for tourists.
"I've never seen this before and you get the feeling that it's
post-apocalyptic really," said resident Karyn on Thursday shortly before
the preventative evacuation order at Cazaux village near the dune.
Fire commander Laurent Dellac spoke of "tunnels of fire" around
Teste-de-Buch, in the middle of the Landes forest to Bordeaux's southwest --
although nobody was reported hurt.
"The blazes are still not under control, and unfortunately conditions
are windy again," firefighter spokesman Matthieu Jomain told AFP.
Britain's meteorological agency meanwhile issued its first ever
"red" warning for exceptional heat with nights exceptionally warm.
The Met Office said there was a 50-percent chance on Monday or Tuesday of
temperatures topping 40C for the first time, and an 80-percent chance that the
country's previous record of 38.7C set in 2019 will be exceeded.
- 'Risk to life' -
UK hospitals have warned of a surge in heat-related admissions and train
operators have told passengers to expect cancellations.
The Irish meteorological office issued a weather warning for Sunday, Monday
and Tuesday with "exceptionally warm weather".
A high of 32C was possible on Monday, Met Eireann said, just short of
Ireland's record high 33.3C set in 1887.
Belgian authorities said they expected much higher temperatures next week,
with a high of 38C in parts of the country forecast for Tuesday.
Scientists blamethe increasing regularity of heatwaves on global warming.
"Climate change is driving this heatwave, just as it is driving every
heatwave now," said Friederike Otto, senior lecturer in climate science at
the Grantham Institute at Imperial College
London.
"Greenhouse gas emissions, from burning fossil fuels like coal, gas and
oil, are making heatwaves hotter, longer-lasting and more frequent," she
said.
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