- The driver runs for life while the flames engulf an excavator in Spain
- Heat wave consistent with climate change, scientists say
- Firefighters are still struggling to contain the wildfires
- Temperatures are beginning to drop in parts of southern Europe
MADRID / LISBON July 18 (Reuters) – The UK is heading for the highest temperatures in history and firefighters battled the flames in southern Europe as a heat wave sent people to seek shade and rose fears about climate change.
In Spain, a forest fire crossed a field and engulfed an excavator near the town of Tabara in the north, forcing the driver to run to save his life while the flames burned his clothes on his back. Read more
Across this country and in some other parts of southern Europe there were some signs that conditions were beginning to ease after days of intense highs that have caused hundreds of deaths and left the field dangerously dry, authorities said. .
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But the heat wave was moving north. Temperatures rose to 38ºC (100 Fahrenheit) in the south of England on Monday and were expected to reach a record 40ºC (104F) on Tuesday, according to the UK Meteorological Office. Read more
Train companies canceled services and some schools closed while ministers urged citizens to stay home and the government activated a “national emergency” alert.
Flights were suspended at Luton Airport after staff detected a “runway defect.” The hot weather had ruined the Royal Air Force’s Brize Norton air base runway, Sky News reported. Read more
Sales of electric fans, hoses, air conditioning units and sprinklers are on the rise, retailers said. Read more
“We were hoping not to get into this situation, but for the first time we are forecasting more than 40ºC in the UK,” said Met Office climate attribution scientist Dr Nikos Christidis.
“Climate change has already influenced the likelihood of extreme temperatures in the UK. Chances of seeing 40ºC days in the UK could be up to 10 times more likely in today’s climate than in a natural climate unaffected by human influence. “, he said. .
‘WE HAVE NOTHING’
Forest fires wreaked havoc in Portugal, Spain and France and authorities warned there was an increased risk as drought conditions persisted.
Spain was facing the last day of a heat wave of more than a week, which had caused more than 510 heat-related deaths, according to estimates by the Carlos III Institute of Health.
In Tabara, locals said the driver of the excavator – who was named Ángel Martín Arjona – had been trying to dig a ditch between the fire and the buildings.
But orange flames surrounded the vehicle. Television footage showed him coming out of the fire, stumbling and then standing up while people shouted at him and a firefighter ran to help.
A firefighter is working to contain a tactical fire in Louchats, as wildfires continue to spread to the Gironde region in southwestern France on July 17, 2022. REUTERS / Sarah Meyssonnier
Read more
According to witnesses, the driver was taken to hospital with burns, although there were no detailed reports on his condition.
With fires burning thousands of hectares in Galicia, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Extremadura and Andalusia, Spain mourned the death of a firefighter in the northwestern province of Zamora on Sunday evening.
In the Pont de Vilomara, in Catalonia, the evacuees gathered outside a civic center, including the retired Onofre Muñoz, 69, who said that his house and van had been completely destroyed.
“We bought the van when I retired and now it’s totally burned out. We have nothing,” he said.
“Our house had a few windows, they exploded and a powerful fire broke out.”
THE EU SENDS SUPPORT
In Portugal, temperatures dropped over the weekend, but the risk of forest fires remained very high, the Portuguese Meteorological Institute said.
About 1,000 firefighters, backed by 284 vehicles and 18 planes, were fighting 10 wildfires, mostly in the northern regions, authorities said. Two people were killed trying to escape the flames in a car in the northern part of Murca, media reported.
Belgium and Germany were among the countries that hoped the heat wave would affect them in the coming days.
The EU said it was monitoring wildfires erupting in southern member states on Monday, sending a firefighting plane to Slovenia over the weekend, in addition to recent deployments in France and Portugal.
“We continue, of course, to monitor the situation during this unprecedented heat wave and we will continue to mobilize support as needed,” spokesman Balazs Ujvari said in a briefing.
In the Gironde region in southwestern France, fires had destroyed 14,800 hectares (37,000 acres), local authorities said Monday. More than 14,000 people have been evacuated from the area. France has issued red alerts, as high as possible, for several regions, and residents have called for “extremely vigilance.”
In Italy, where smaller fires have occurred, forecasters expect temperatures above 40 ºC in several regions in the coming days.
Switzerland also suffered from the effects of the heat wave. Axpo, the operator of the Beznau nuclear power plant, said Monday that it was forced to reduce production so as not to overheat the Aare River from which it draws cooling water.
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Reuters office reports; Written by Raissa Kasolowsky and Andrew Heavens; Edited by Alex Richardson and Rosalba O’Brien
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