The eastern Mediterranean is suffering from heat and fires, the Alps are plagued by floods. Holiday areas are also affected. And both weather extremes have a common cause.
Rome / Athens / Istanbul / Vienna – scorching heat and dozens of fires in the holiday countries on the eastern Mediterranean, severe storms further north in the Alpine region.
In Greece, Turkey and southern Italy, thousands of emergency services fought forest and bush fires at temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius over the weekend. Tourist facilities were also affected. In northern Italy and Austria, however, violent storms caused damage and floods – two Belgians had to be rescued from a gorge in Carinthia.
In Sicily, more than 800 firefighters continued to fight the devastating forest fires on Sunday. The fire brigade announced on Sunday morning that helpers were deployed more than 230 times within twelve hours. Fire-fighting planes of the national fleet flew missions not only in Sicily, but also in Calabria and the Adriatic region of Apulia.
In Sicily, the big city of Catania was particularly hot – holiday resorts there were also affected. Mayor Salvatore Pogliese wrote of “completely destroyed” areas in the south of the city. On Saturday, the Etna volcano erupted, at the foot of which the city is located. The eruption began in the evening and continued into Sunday night.
Etna volcano has erupted
With lava and billows of smoke, the Etna volcano has created a natural spectacle on the Italian island of Sicily, which is currently being ravaged by forest fires. The eruption began on Saturday evening and continued into the night on Sunday, according to the national institute for geophysics and volcanology (INGV) in Catania, at the foot of the volcano. Lava and ash shot from the crater on the southeast side of the mountain, which is more than 3300 meters high. Measured at sea level, the smoke rose up to five kilometers into the night sky.
Many fires broke out in Greece due to the drought. At least 16 people were treated for respiratory problems in hospitals on the Peloponnese peninsula, the state television reported. Several houses near the small town of Egion were destroyed. The fires were contained on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, the “historical heat wave” – of which many meteorologists speak – is continuing. After the heat had reached 43 degrees in the previous days, temperatures of 45 degrees were expected in Greece on Sunday. At night, the values were above 30 degrees, especially in the metropolitan areas. Cities opened air-conditioned halls for residents who do not have air conditioning at home.
In Turkey, thousands of emergency services fought forest fires for the fifth day in a row. On Sunday night, several villages in the Bodrum holiday region were evacuated, as the mayor said. Among other things, the people were brought to safety by boat across the sea. The Russian consulate general in Antalya announced that 100 Russian tourists were brought to safety from a suburb of Bodrum on Saturday evening. In the province of Antalya, another village was evacuated on Sunday, as reported by the broadcaster NTV.
Six fatalities in Turkey
Forest Minister Bekir Pakdemirli announced on Sunday that five of the originally more than 100 fires were still active. There are fires in the southern and western Turkish provinces of Antalya and Mugla. Strong winds fanned the fire again and again and made it difficult to extinguish the fire. According to official information, the fires have so far claimed at least six deaths – five in Antalya, one in Marmaris. Hundreds were injured. The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the affected regions and assured the victims of quick help on Saturday.
The situation in the Alpine region was completely different: In northern Italy, heavy rainfall in South Tyrol, for example, caused flooding and fallen trees. The civil protection authority of Italy had previously sent a storm warning. The pre-Alpine regions in the north of Lombardy and around Lake Como were also particularly at risk.
Storm in Austria
Storms also caused damage in Austria. As the authorities reported, roads in Styria were closed after mudslides. In Lower Austria, rain, hail and gusts of wind led to flooding. In Carinthia, a 47-year-old Belgian and his 16-year-old daughter were surprised by rapidly rising water masses in the Pirkachklamm on Saturday evening. After an emergency call, the mountain rescue found the vacationers dressed in shorts and t-shirts around midnight, very hypothermic and completely soaked.
While the eastern Mediterranean is plagued by heat, it remains volatile and cool in Germany, according to the German Weather Service. The cause is deep “Ferdinand”, which moves from the North Sea to the Baltic States and brings cool sea air to Germany. The foothills of the eastern Mediterranean, on the other hand, bring high temperatures, as they allow hot air to flow directly from Africa to Italy, Greece and Turkey. dpa
