Heat wave grips Europe: More than 1,000 dead in Spain and Portugal
Europe, News July 19, 2022 1 Comment on Heat wave grips Europe: More than 1,000 dead in Spain and PortugalWildfires and heatwaves across southern Europe have led to more than 1,000 deaths and forced tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes.
Many parts of Europe are going through one of the harshest summers of the century with temperatures reaching up to 46 degrees centigrade. Numerous wildfires have been reported across southern Europe burning down thousands of hectares of land in Greece, France, Portugal, and Spain. Scientists have blamed climate change for the ongoing severe heatwave in Europe.
At least 20 different wildfires were been reported in Spain this week that has led to thousands of people fleeing their homes. The week-long heatwave in Spain and Portugal has resulted in one of the highest recorded temperatures for the countries.
Temperatures in Spain reached up to 45.7 degrees centigrade as Spain’s weather agency released temperature warnings across Aragon, Navarra, and La Rioja regions. The agency also warned that the heatwave would continue in next week and temperatures would remain “abnormally high”.
Wildfires are raging in several regions across several regions in central and northern Spain including Leon and Galicia. The firefighters are trying to control the blazing fires while helping the local residents evacuate the regions.
In France, the wildfires have spread across more than 11,000 hectares of land in the southwestern region of Gironde. Several thousand people have been evacuated as more than 1,200 firefighters try to confine the blazing wildfires caused by extreme temperatures. Satellite images from France have shown thick clouds of smoke caused by the fires engulfing many of the nearby cities, forcing the residents to be evacuated.
French authorities also issued a red alert for extreme temperatures all across the country for the upcoming week, urging its citizen to stay vigilant in the midst of the ongoing heatwave.
In Greece, the fire brigade has reported at least 71 blazes that had broken out within the span of a few hours. Greek firefighting helicopter crashed while battling a forest fire on the island of Samos, killing two crew members.
Similar heatwave warnings and wildfires have been reported in Portugal and Italy where temperatures have reached up to 40 degrees centigrade in many regions. More than 1,000 firefighters are trying to control at least 13 different wildfires all across Portugal with the largest one being reported near the city of Chaves.
Portugal’s health ministry stated that at least 659 people have died due to the ongoing heatwave, out of which, 440 deaths were reported only on July 14, when the heatwave was at its peak across the country. Spain’s health authorities also reported at least 360 heatwave-related deaths last week.
Apart from fighting wildfires and extreme temperatures, Portugal is also facing a threat of drought and water shortage as more than 96% of the country’s mainland is extremely vulnerable to droughts and dryness due to the lowering levels of groundwater.
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