Spain has been hit by an abnormal heat wave for the fourth time this summer and its peak is expected in the coming days, EFE news agency reported on Monday.
According to forecasts, temperatures are expected to reach between 39 and 43 degrees Celsius in different parts of the country on Monday and Tuesday. Thus, around 40 degrees is expected in the Balearic Islands region, as well as in the southwest and northeast of Spain. In the south-west of Andalusia thermometer columns will rise to 43 degrees. In the central part of the country, as well as in the southern part of Galicia and Mallorca – about 39 degrees Celsius. In Catalonia’s Lerida and Girona, as well as in Barcelona, residents were urged to prepare not only for temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius, but also for storms and heavy rain.
In most of the country, the risk of forest fires due to abnormally high temperatures is assessed as high.
This heat wave is expected to last until August 24 and then subside. The cooling will first come to the western part of the country, and closer to the weekend will spread to the rest of Spain.
Because of the hot weather, forest fires are raging in the country. This year, natural fires in Spain have already destroyed almost 64 thousand hectares.
Abnormal heat continues to inconvenience residents of several southern European countries, particularly Spain and Italy, European media reported on Wednesday.
Temperatures in Sicily approached 47 degrees Celsius during the day, with the highest temperatures recorded in Agrigento and Trapani. The island’s health services report a 20% increase in the number of citizens’ visits to hospitals.
In at least 20 cities in Italy continues to operate introduced by the authorities of the heightened level of danger due to the heat wave. We are talking, including Rome, Florence and Bologna. Italian Health Minister Orazio Scilacci urged residents and tourists to be extra vigilant and avoid staying in direct sunlight from 11:00 to 18:00. Meanwhile, Rome is experiencing power outages amid a surge in the use of air conditioners.
Spanish meteorological services on Wednesday reported that the average temperature of coastal waters broke the record for this time of year. Thus, the water warmed to an average of 24.6 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees higher than the average for this time. In some parts, the water temperature exceeded 28 degrees Celsius.
The situation is difficult in Greece and Cyprus. Greek forecasters are recording peaks of 39 degrees Celsius in the east of the country and 41 degrees in the west. In addition, Athens is expecting 43 degrees Celsius by the weekend. In Cyprus, temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius are being recorded, with the situation forecast to worsen on Friday and Saturday, which is expected to be even hotter.
In Greece, natural fires continue to spread amid the 40-degree heat wave. Hundreds of people have been evacuated. Firefighters from other countries, including Poland, Romania and Slovakia, are involved in the fight against the fire.
On the eve in a number of regions in the south-east of France recorded temperature records. In the department of Ariège the air warmed up to 40.6 degrees Celsius for the first time in the history of meteorological observations. Record temperature was also recorded in Renno in Corsica – 38.3 degrees Celsius.
In addition, the water in the Mediterranean Sea near Nice warmed to 29.2 degrees Celsius, the highest ever recorded in the region.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned the day before that temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius will last in many parts of the world for several days.
Severe heat waves with dangerous temperatures for people during this century are likely to occur 3-10 times more often than now, CNN reported on Friday, citing a study by Harvard and Washington Universities.
Thus, more and more frequent heat waves are expected in the USA, China, Japan and Western Europe. In this case, the air temperature will reach 39.4 degrees Celsius.
This trend will be most pronounced in the countries of the tropics, where the number of days with extreme heat – with an air temperature of 51 degrees Celsius – will double.
Experts have made these predictions based on assumptions that average global temperatures will rise by 2 degrees Celsius: this is the limit set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, within which humanity must keep the increase in temperatures.
Earlier it was reported that according to the Joint Research Center of the European Commission, the current drought seems to be perhaps the worst in the last 500 years. Final data at the end of the season may confirm this preliminary estimate.
The countries of Europe, which this summer are suffering from wildfires associated with abnormal heat and drought, in 2022 broke the record of destruction from fires: 662.8 thousand hectares were devastated by fire.
Among the states most affected by fires this year are Spain (246 thousand hectares of burned forests), Romania (150 thousand hectares), Portugal (75 thousand hectares) and France (61 thousand hectares).
In recent days, Europe has been covered by a wave of abnormal heat, which has led to forest fires in many southern countries, Western media reported on Wednesday.
The Portuguese authorities said that several fires led to the evacuation of about 700 people, about 120 needed medical attention, one local resident and one firefighter were seriously injured. 1,300 firefighters and several water-dropping aircraft were sent to fight the elements in the central region of the country, while about 1,000 firefighters are working in other regions.
In the southwest of France, a forest fire has engulfed an area of more than 1.2 thousand hectares near the commune of La Teste-de-Bouche, which is located south of Bordeaux. On Wednesday morning, about 6,000 people were evacuated from the area. Also, about 500 people were evacuated from the outskirts of the city of Landira. More than 800 firefighters are fighting fires in France.
The flames continue to be fought in Italy, which this summer faced the worst drought in 70 years. Firefighters are fighting a fire near Bolzano on Tuesday afternoon and a fire in Tuscany on Wednesday morning. Two helicopters and six teams of firefighters were sent to fight the second.
In Spain, abnormal heat is recorded in all regions, in some the temperature reached 44 degrees Celsius. In the west of the country, a forest fire destroyed 3.5 thousand hectares of land, more than 450 people were evacuated.
A forest fire was also recorded in southwestern Turkey near the resort of Datca on the Aegean Sea. At least nine water-dropping helicopters and five planes were dispatched to fight the fire.
In 2021, many European countries were also seriously affected by forest fires, which were the result of abnormal heat. Then a difficult situation with natural fires was observed in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Montenegro, Algeria and North Macedonia.
