(Reuters) – Europe is battling the effects of scorching weather, with June having been the hottest month on record in the 174-year history of temperature monitoring.
Last year, heatwaves resulted in over 61,600 heat-related fatalities across 35 European countries and triggered devastating wildfires. This year, temperatures could exceed Europe’s current record of 48.8 Celsius (119.84 Fahrenheit), recorded in Sicily in August 2021.
Below is a list of the most recent blazes and heat-related warnings issued in Europe.
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CROATIA
A bushfire near the coastal town of Sibenik quickly spread on July 13, fuelled by strong southerly winds. The fire was difficult to control, despite the efforts of 56 firefighters, along with 20 vehicles and three aircraft. The village of Grebastica suffered significant damage, including the destruction of cars and homes.
FRANCE
About six small-scale blazes have been recorded in the regions of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Grand Est, Bouches-Du-Rhone and Corsica island. Mid-April the French geological service BRGM said that very low groundwater levels have put France on course for a worse summer drought than last year, mainly in the southern part of the country.
GREECE
A wildfire in the capital Athens, declared on July 17, is intensifying and spreading through forests, about 30 km north. The fire front extended for more than 8 km (5 miles), officials said. Firefighters were able to control other fires in the southeast and west of Athens, but those areas were still at risk. The Greek meteorological service issued a warning of a high fire risk this week and another heatwave is predicted for later in the week.
ITALY
The health ministry on July 18 issued red weather alerts for 20 of the country’s 27 main cities, with expectations the number could rise to 23 by July 19. An employee at the Italian air force’s weather service, Carlo Spanu, said the country could see temperatures exceeding 47 Celsius. Rome registered a new record high temperature of 41.8, the weather service of the local Lazio region reported.
PORTUGAL
Mainland Portugal is facing widespread drought, with some 90% of the country affected. The drought expanded during an abnormally hot and dry April, as reported by the meteorology agency IPMA in May.
RUSSIA
In central Russia’s Urals region, in the small village of Shaidurikha near Yekaterinburg, wildfires spread on July 12 and caused significant damage. One woman died, two people were hospitalised with burns and 41 houses were burned down as the fire rapidly spread. Dry and windy weather conditions contributed to the fire’s intensity.
SPAIN
Firefighters are currently battling an uncontrollable wildfire that started on July 15 on the island of La Palma, which has led to the evacuation of at least 4,000 people. Spain has been enduring a prolonged period of drought, with the first four months of 2023 being the driest on record.
SWITZERLAND
Swiss police issued evacuation orders on July 17 for several mountain villages due to the spread of a fire on the forested flank of a mountain in Bitsch in the Valais canton near the Italian border. More than 200 people were forced to evacuate. It could take days or weeks to fully put out the fire, which has spread to 100 hectares (250 acres) of forest, said a firefighter.
TURKEY
Wildfires started burning in Turkey’s southeastern Hatay and Mersin provinces, as well as Canakkale province in the northwest on July 16, the Turkish General Directorate of Forestry said on its Twitter account.
(Reporting and compiling by Dina Kartit and Gaëlle Sheehan, edited by Piotr Lipiński and Alexandra Hudson)
