Countries such as France, Spain and Portugal have been victims of wildfires due to the recent heat wave across Europe. Thousands of civilians were forced to flee their homes in search of safety. It is said that high pressure areas are moving from North Africa to Europe and the temperature will exceed 40 degrees Celsius in some areas.
Due to climate change, heat waves are becoming more common, stronger and longer. Since 1880, the Earth has warmed 1.1C because of humans. In the year In 2019, the energy sector contributed to 77% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, followed by agriculture at 10.55%, and industry at 9.1%. The waste sector was 3.32% of the total. England in the year It is the fifth largest producer of carbon dioxide, producing 78,161 metric tons in 2020. Temperatures will not stop rising unless carbon emissions are reduced.
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In France, the weather forecast shows temperatures of up to 41C in the south, and new temperature records are predicted. Portugal recently reached a temperature of 47C. England has issued a red warning for record temperatures as parts of the UK, including London, Manchester and York, reach record temperatures. The United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency has warned that illness and death can occur “between the healthy and the unhealthy”. Deaths in heat waves are often caused by heart attacks and strokes caused by the stress of the body trying to maintain a stable temperature. All over Europe, people drowned as they rushed to cool off in the water.
Morocco has ordered more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes, deploying firefighters to fight fires in the north, the worst-hit province of Larache. Greece is also experiencing wildfires in Crete, which are said to be partially contained. Some areas in southwestern Turkey and Croatia are facing wildfires. 10,500 hectares of fire in France. In Italy, the Po River has been severely reduced to a trickle in some areas.
30,000 hectares burned in Portugal. More than 2,000 firefighters were dispatched to tackle the four major fires. This is the worst fire in Portugal since the summer of 2017, when 100 people died. Between July 7 and 13 this year, 238 people died in a heat wave in Portugal.
In Spain, authorities report that about 20 fires are still burning and out of control. One near Mijas in the south forced about 2,300 people to evacuate and seek shelter. Temperatures in Spain hit 45.4C, beating the all-time high of 47.4C recorded in August. In the first three days of the heat wave, the country lost 84 lives due to extreme heat.
