First Published Jul 19, 2022, 2:46 PM IST
TheWith each passing day more and more damage is being reported in the ongoing heatwave across Europe and North Africa. The train that evacuated people after a wild fire broke out in Spain the other day passed through the area where the wild fire had spread. France says it has evacuated around 11,500 people so far. At the same time, foreign media also reported that 1000 people have died due to the heat wave with Spain and Portugal. In Europe, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Britain are hit by the strongest heat wave. Temperatures in Europe have crossed 40 degrees Celsius following the heat wave. A train leaving the western Spanish city of Ferrol for Madrid yesterday caused concern among passengers as it passed through areas ravaged by wildfires.
The pictures taken by Francisco Cione Pérez, a passenger on the train that left Ferrol for Madrid yesterday, have gone viral on social media. The images showed strong winds and fire spreading along the train’s route.
Perez said passengers panicked when the train stopped. During the journey, the train stopped for a while. At this point before we move from one window to another… a fire burning in the grass outside the train can be seen spreading beyond it.
Temperatures in Spain were above 40 degrees Celsius yesterday. Spain has been experiencing temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius for at least a week. 36 fires were reported on Monday morning alone in Spain, which was gripped by a strong heat wave. Of these, 24 are reported to be out of control.
Around 1,000 people have died so far in Portugal and Spain due to extreme heat. Most died of heat exhaustion following the heat wave. Two deaths have been reported in Spain in the last two days. A 62-year-old firefighter and a 69-year-old shepherd were burned to death in a fire in Spain’s northwestern Zamora province.
Temperatures are on the rise in France as well. Most cities in France reported the hottest temperatures, with the city of Brest recording 35.8 degrees Celsius, Nantes 40.5 degrees Celsius and the Landes forest near Bordeaux 44 degrees Celsius.
Wildfires are raging in France. Two wildfires are raging out of control in Bordeaux. 11,500 people have already been evacuated from the area. Around 3,500 people were evacuated from the village west of Langone early yesterday. About 8,000 people were evacuated from La Teste de Buch yesterday, the fire department said.
However, between 5 and 6 pm, the temperature suddenly dropped to 20 degrees Celsius. But this was only for a short time. The heat gets a little relief when the east wind blows, known as Galerne. Even then, strong winds fueled the wildfires.
There are reports that forest fires are spreading from Portugal to the Balkan region. Many countries in southern Europe are also experiencing severe drought. Britain is also experiencing a severe heat wave. Almost all countries in Europe have recorded high temperatures recently.
Train operators have warned that Britain’s extreme temperatures could crack rail tracks. There are also reports that some schools in the country have already constructed swimming pools for children. Fire safety officials have warned that a strong storm in southwest France is complicating firefighting efforts.
‘The fire is literally exploding. Burned tree branches break off from the flames, sending burning embers flying into the air. Regional fire service chief Mark Vermeulen said it spread the fire further into the area.
‘We are facing extremely unusual circumstances,’ he pointed out. As the wildfires intensified, authorities began evacuating more towns. He also said that 11,500 people have already been evacuated from France. The forest fire was first reported on July 12. Authorities informed that 28,000 people have been evacuated since then till yesterday.
The Interior Ministry said on Sunday night that it has dispatched three more planes to the six already in the region to bring seawater to the affected areas and bring the fires under control. More than 1,000 people have died in Portugal and Spain due to wildfires. 659 people died in Portugal and 368 in Spain.
More than 200 more have left to join around 1,500 firefighters working around the clock to battle the fires in the Gironde near the Arcachon maritime base, known for its vineyards, oysters and beautiful beaches.
More than 30 wildfires around Spain have forced the evacuation of thousands of people. The forest fire has turned almost 220 square kilometers of forest and undergrowth into champala. Climate scientists say heat waves have become more intense, more frequent and longer due to climate change.
Along with this, the extreme drought has made it difficult to fight wildfires. They also warn that climate change will make weather more extreme and wildfires more destructive.
‘Climate change is killing us,’ Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on a visit to the Extremadura region on Monday. Firefighters are battling three large fires there. ‘It’s killing people, it’s killing our ecosystems and biodiversity.’ He was worried.
Speaking at climate change talks in Berlin, Spain’s Minister of Environmental Transformation, Teresa Ribera, described her country as ‘literally on fire’. They warned of ‘more dire possibilities in the coming days’.
For more than 10 days, the temperature will be above 40 degrees Celsius and it will be moderately cold at night. According to Spain’s Carlos III Institute, which tracks daily temperature-related deaths, 237 deaths were attributed to high temperatures from July 10 to 14.
In the past week alone, 25 heat-related deaths have been recorded. Spain’s heat wave is forecast to ease from Tuesday. But warnings say temperatures will rise again on Wednesday, especially in the dry western Extremadura region.
In Britain, officials issued the first extreme heat warning. The British Meteorological Service has predicted that the record high temperature of 38.7 degrees Celsius set in 2019 will be broken. Sometimes it can go up to 43, the warnings said. But Met Office CEO Penelope Endersby said that the response will not be that high.
Forest fires in Slovenia have been brought under control, authorities said. Croatia, which borders Slovenia to the south, has sent a plane to fight wildfires along the Adriatic coast. Some houses in the area have been evacuated due to wildfires in Sibenik, authorities said.
There are four major fires in northern Portugal. More than 600 firemen are on duty to extinguish them. After July’s record high of 47 degrees Celsius was reported, the entire country was on high alert. So far 12,000 to 15,000 hectares of land have been burnt in Portugal.
For the first time, the Met Office has issued a ‘Red Alert’ in Britain. It also warned that there is a ‘danger to life’. Temperatures in southern England will top 40C for the first time on Tuesday, the Met Office said. Some parts of the Netherlands recorded 38 degrees Celsius.