Forest fires engulfed Mediterranean resorts. We are talking about Spain, France, Portugal, and other countries that are fighting fires and experiencing intense heat this summer. The fire engulfed huge areas of land, forcing thousands of tourists and residents to run to safety. Meteorological experts have called what is happening a climate apocalypse.
According to AFP, thousands of hectares of forest near resorts were reduced to ashes during fires in European resort countries. So, in Spain, work on extinguishing forest fires continues in the regions of Extremadura, Castile, León, Andalusia and Galicia. While 37 fires were registered across the country, 19 of them could not be brought under control. Since July 3, as a result of the raging fire, 70,354 hectares of land have burned.
In the Gironde district of southern Bordeaux in France, emergency services are also battling a fire. However, so far the battle is not on equal footing: at the moment, about 17,300 hectares are covered with ash. “There will be a heat apocalypse in some southwestern areas,” meteorologist Francois Guran told the newspaper.
In Portugal, it was possible to control four large fires that broke out in the northeast of the city of Porto. In some regions, the temperature reached +47°C last week, a record for July. And in Germany and Italy, the authorities warned the public about the need to be careful in the heat.
Anxiety about climate extremes and fire is not only discussed in South-Western Europe but also Great Britain and the Netherlands. The Met Office has issued its first-ever ‘red’ warning for extreme heat, signaling a ‘risk to life. Last Tuesday, in some parts of the Netherlands, the mercury column reached +38°С.
As for Turkish resorts, temperatures are expected to rise by another 5 degrees over the weekend, especially in Marmara areas on the Marmara Sea and the Aegean Sea regions.
Scientists blame climate change and predict more frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather events such as heat waves and droughts. Authorities are warning tourists and residents to be careful in extreme temperatures.