The dramatic outcome of the heat wave is expected to continue after the weekend. Many Western European countries continue to struggle this Sunday Against devastating forest firesWhile many temperature records may drop as early as next week, meteorologists say.
In southwestern France the crowd of firefighters has not weakened to fix the fires, Especially in the Gironde where smoke has now turned into nearly 10,500 hectares of forest Since Tuesday, in the context of a generalized heat wave where temperatures can reach 40 degrees locally, according to Météo France, which has put 37 departments on alert for an orange “heat wave” on Sunday.
Portugal saw calm on Sunday morning on the fire front. One large focal area, near the municipality of Chaves in the far north of the country, has been designated as active and “virtually under control” over 90% of its perimeter according to the Portuguese Civil Protection.
video. Fire in Portugal: Films himself on a highway surrounded by fire
However, this Sunday almost all Portuguese territories presented an “extreme”, “very high” or “high” fire risk, particularly the central and northern interior.
Two dead and about 60 injured in Portugal
The Portuguese Meteorological Institute issued no warning of high temperatures on Sunday. This is the first time since July 8 that temperatures in Portugal must not exceed 40 degrees Celsius. According to the last known report from the Portuguese Civil Protection, last week’s fires left two people dead and nearly sixty injured. According to his estimates, between 12,000 and 15,000 hectares of forests and trees have been destroyed by these fires since the onset of the heat wave.
In Spain, Twenty forest fires Authorities said fires are still raging and still out of control in different parts of the country, from the south to the far northwest in Galicia, where the fires have so far destroyed about 4,400 hectares of land this week. Only 300 of the 3,000 people who were preemptively evacuated near Malaga, in the far south, were allowed to go home on Sunday.
Spain’s meteorological agency is forecasting “remarkably high” temperatures across most of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean on Sunday, with mercury forecast at 42 degrees in the northern city of Logroño, and 40 degrees in Madrid and Seville.
In the UK, a ‘red’ alert for extreme heat
In Greece, firefighters continued to fight The outbreak that broke out on Friday morningwhich caused the preventive evacuation of seven villages in a rural area in the Rethymno province of Crete.
To the north in Europe, in the United Kingdom, the National Weather Agency Issued first-ever ‘red’ alert for extreme heat, warning of a “risk to life.” The Met Office said temperatures in southern England could hit 40 degrees for the first time on Monday or Tuesday.
Elsewhere in the world, extreme temperatures have also caused wildfires, Especially in northern Morocco One person died and half of the 4,660 hectares affected went into smoke. Western Canada has also been affected, a fire that has been ravaging the Lytton region since Thursday, already destroyed by a historic heat wave and devastating fires last year.
This heat wave is the second in barely a month in Europe. The prevalence of these phenomena is a direct result of global warming according to scientists, with greenhouse gas emissions increasing in intensity, duration and frequency.
