Europe suffers from heatwave... Hundreds dead and tens of thousands evacuated due to wildfires

French firefighters are extinguishing a wildfire that broke out on the 17th (local time) in the Gironde area of the southwest region.
[Photo by Reuters]

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[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] European countries are suffering from the early arrival of a heatwave this year compared to previous years. Hundreds of deaths have occurred due to the heatwave, and the clear and dry weather caused by the heatwave has led to wildfires, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate.

According to AFP and other foreign media on the 17th (local time), France evacuated 14,000 people due to wildfires near Bordeaux, a wine-producing area in the southwest. Approximately 110㎢ of forest area was burned by the wildfire, and more than 1,200 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire.

In Spain, wildfires broke out near Mijas, close to the southern resort city of Malaga, causing about 3,200 people to evacuate, some of whom have since returned. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is scheduled to visit another wildfire-affected area in western Extremadura on the 18th.

In Portugal, about 300㎢ in the northern region was burned, and approximately 1,400 firefighters were deployed to fight the wildfires.

In Morocco, 1,300 people evacuated due to wildfires, and wildfires also occurred on the Greek island of Crete, southwestern Turkey, and near the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. The dry and hot spring this year in Europe has advanced the wildfire season.

The reason wildfires are occurring one after another across Europe is that the early heatwave has left the land extremely dry. Deaths due to the heatwave are also occurring continuously.

In Portugal, temperatures rose to 47 degrees Celsius last week, resulting in 659 deaths from the heatwave over the course of a week.

The Spanish Meteorological Agency issued a heatwave warning on the 17th. Last week, Spain recorded a maximum temperature of 45.7 degrees Celsius. The Carlos III Institute, which counts heatwave-related deaths daily, reported that 360 people died from heatwave-related causes between the 10th and 15th.

The French Meteorological Agency also issued the highest level red heatwave warnings for 15 areas along the western coast and orange warnings for 51 areas on the same day. The agency forecasted temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius on that day and predicted record-breaking highs on the 18th.

Authorities in the French Alps recommended postponing climbs of Mont Blanc due to the risk of falling rocks caused by abnormal climate conditions and drought.

Even in the UK, where summer weather is usually cool, temperatures are expected to reach up to 41 degrees Celsius on the 18th and 19th, setting a new record. The previous record was 38.7 degrees Celsius in 2019.

The UK Meteorological Agency also issued its first-ever red heatwave warning for parts of England, including London. The London city government requested that people avoid using public transportation as much as possible, and schools are expected to dismiss students early.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.