Heat and drought are troubling southern Europe. You can read where forest fires are raging and what the consequences are in our news ticker.
- Fires rage in France : 16,000 people have to flee.
- Falling temperatures in Spain and Portugal : Hope for the people of the Iberian Peninsula.
- Heat in Croatia : Authorities restrict water consumption on the Istrian peninsula.
- This news ticker on the risk of forest fires in Europe is continuously updated.
Munich – Germany has so far been spared the sweltering heat that has settled in southern Europe. But now the Federal Republic has to adjust to it. A doctor explains what you should pay attention to now. It is expected to remain hot in large parts of southern Europe, with the corresponding consequences.
Forest fires in France: 16,000 people have to leave their homes
France has called on citizens to be extra cautious given the expected rise in temperature. The weather service Météo France imposed the highest red warning level for almost the entire French Atlantic coast and other western areas until Monday afternoon. Temperature records are almost certainly to be broken here.
Facing the persistent dry heat and fierce winds, firefighters continue their fight south of Bordeaux to battle two major wildfires. The situation worsened on Sunday afternoon. The fire at Teste-de-Buch reached the sea and blazed south from there. Changing winds caused the forest fire at Landiras to grow. So far, almost 13,000 hectares of land in the area have been burned. More than 16,000 people had to leave their homes for safety.
Forest fires in Italy: Sicily and Sardinia raise warning levels
In addition to forest fires that flare up again and again, Italy is suffering from the lack of rain. This can also be seen on Lake Garda. The farmers’ association Coldiretti warned on Sunday of crop losses of up to 70 percent in some areas.
In Sicily and Sardinia, the authorities again raised the forest fire warning levels in some parts of the islands. In Sicily, the highest level three already applies locally.
Forest fires in Spain and Portugal: Falling temperatures should bring relief
About 30 forest fires were still active in Spain on Sunday evening. The fires have destroyed tens of thousands of hectares in the past few days, as reported by the state television broadcaster RTVE, citing the various regional authorities.
In Portugal, around a thousand emergency services were fighting 16 active forest fires on Sunday evening. According to the nature conservation agency ICNF, the flames in Portugal destroyed around 30,000 hectares of forest in around a week.
In both countries, meanwhile, the announced falling temperatures give reason for hope. In Portugal, the government therefore did not want to extend the third-highest state of emergency, which expired on Monday, after a week. In Spain, the heat wave will end between Monday and Tuesday, the national weather service Aemet said.
Risk of forest fires in Greece: Risk rated as “very high”.
The Greek fire brigade continues to assess the risk of forest fires in many parts of the country as “very high”. On Monday, the Attica region with the capital Athens as well as the islands of Euboea, Crete, Lesbos and Samos and the north-east of the Peloponnese peninsula were particularly affected. Above all, the sometimes strong winds that blow in the Aegean Sea cause difficulties. They can quickly reignite and fuel a nearly smothered fire.
Heat in Croatia: water restrictions on the Istrian peninsula
Restrictions on water consumption came into force on Monday on the Croatian peninsula of Istria, which is popular with holidaymakers. Potable tap water may no longer be used for washing vehicles, cleaning streets, watering green spaces or showering on beaches and in swimming pools, Croatian media reported. The only exception is the cleaning of markets and fish markets.
The provincial government of Istria justified the measure with the persistent drought and with meteorological forecasts, according to which no precipitation is to be expected in the foreseeable future. Violations of the ordinance can result in the municipal water supply being shut off.
