284 dead in Portugal: Europe hit by deadly heatwave and wildfires
Kyiv • UNN
Europe has been engulfed by wildfires, record heat, and storms. In Portugal, 284 deaths from overheating have been recorded, while other countries have experienced large-scale destruction and paralyzed infrastructure.
Europe is experiencing a hellish summer: massive wildfires, record heat, storms, and sudden floods have engulfed Portugal, Spain, France, Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia.
In Portugal, at least 284 deaths from overheating have been recorded, in France and Croatia - injuries and massive destruction, and in Hungary and Serbia - the elements have paralyzed infrastructure. Experts link this to the consequences of climate change, writes UNN with reference to Euronews.
Details
Heatwave in Spain and Portugal
In late June, mainland Portugal recorded its highest temperature ever – 46.6 degrees Celsius. The country's Directorate-General for Health (DGS) reported that "during the prolonged heatwave in Portugal, 284 deaths were registered."
According to preliminary DGS data, over 70% of the deaths that occurred between June 28 and early July were among people over 85 years old. There is a potential risk that this number could increase further, given the forecasts of high temperatures in the Alentejo region.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere noted that the current heatwave is expected to last at least until mid-week. According to forecasters, the maximum temperature in the Douro and Tagus valleys could reach 40 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, authorities in neighboring Spain have quarantined over 18,000 residents of the northeastern province of Tarragona due to ongoing wildfires.
Significant areas of Spain are on high alert for wildfires after the country experienced its hottest June on record. On July 1, two people died in a fire in the Catalonia region, where Tarragona is located.
This latest fire broke out early Monday morning in a remote area near the village of Pols, where strong winds and rugged terrain are hindering firefighting efforts
An emergency unit was dispatched early Tuesday morning to assist over 300 firefighters working in the area.
Since midnight, firefighters have been battling the blaze, with wind gusts reaching 90 kilometers per hour
France is also trying to extinguish wildfires
At least 10 people - five civilians and five firefighters - were injured in a fire in the southern prefecture of Aude, which led to a partial closure of the A9 motorway.
The road was reopened on Tuesday morning, but the fire "continues to spread"
According to Magny, the fire, which broke out on Monday around 3:00 PM, was likely caused by a "cigarette butt thrown from a car."
On Tuesday, local authorities reported that flights at Marseille Airport were suspended due to a wildfire raging near the southern French port city. The prefecture urged residents of affected areas to stay home and away from roads.
The French meteorological service Météo France reported that two more departments — Var and Vaucluse — have also declared a red alert due to possible wildfires.
Hungary suffers from sudden weather changes
In Hungary, a storm on Monday caused immense damage: wind uprooted trees, downed power lines, paralyzed railway traffic, and left 150,000 households without electricity. The wind tore off the roof of the Szeged University building, and the church tower in Sápi collapsed.
On Tuesday, the storm caused additional damage to the railway infrastructure. Hungarian Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár stated that his ministry cannot guarantee the restoration of traffic on all lines today, as repair work after yesterday's storm disaster continued throughout the night.
First of all, colleagues worked on clearing the main tracks
We are facing huge problems and challenges on the Balatonfüred line and in that direction. But, fortunately, Volán has such a large bus capacity that several hundred buses supplement the incomplete and difficult-to-use network of lines
After strong winds and heavy rainfall, temperatures in the capital are expected to drop further on Wednesday, with an average daily temperature of 15 degrees.
On Wednesday morning, we might feel like it's late autumn, with winds of 60–70 km/h or more, heavy rain, and temperatures around 10 degrees
HungaroMet emphasizes that "on Tuesday afternoon, due to the storm system in the eastern border region, there is again a possibility of destructive wind gusts exceeding 90–110 km/h developing over a larger area."
Hail felled trees in Croatia, and hundreds of fires in Serbia
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, heavy hail felled trees and ripped off roofs as it struck the Croatian port of Split.
Strong winds and hail damaged the roof of the city's football stadium and caused a ferry to slide off its moorings in the port. The boat then collided with two other vessels, one of which sank. At least three people were injured in the storm, and there was significant material damage throughout the city.
At the same time, hundreds of fires raged in neighboring Serbia after a period of extremely hot weather in some parts of the Balkan region. So far, six people have been affected by them. Serbian firefighters battled over 600 wildfires on Monday. At least three municipalities in the south of the country declared a state of emergency due to the fires.
Many villages were at risk. We have several burned and damaged properties, but we also managed to save a lot
This summer, the country has been affected by a severe drought, which has jeopardized harvests and led to restrictions on drinking water supply. Experts say that the extreme weather conditions currently affecting Europe may be linked to climate change.