France and Spain battle wildfires amid another heatwave
Kyiv • UNN
In France and Spain, temperatures will rise to 40-42°C during the fourth heatwave. Wildfires have forced the evacuation of 220,000 people, devastating thousands of hectares of forests.
In France and Spain, temperatures will rise again on Wednesday during the fourth heatwave of this summer, increasing the threat of wildfires that have forced large-scale evacuations, burned forests, and killed wildlife, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
In Spain, the meteorological agency AEMET reported that on Wednesday, in at least six regions where an orange alert has been declared, temperatures will reach 40 degrees Celsius.
In France, according to Meteo France, temperatures in the southwest, hit by devastating fires, will rise from about 33°C on Tuesday to a peak of 42°C, while dry winds from the southwest in the morning and from the west in the afternoon are likely to fan the flames.
French firefighters contained a major fire west of Bordeaux overnight, but officials warned that full extinguishment is still far off.
"At this point, the situation is stable, but the fire is still not under control. Of course, today we remain vigilant given the forecast weather conditions, the new rise in temperature, and higher wind speeds in the afternoon," fire commander Mathieu Jomain told reporters.
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Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, has experienced record heatwaves this year, as human-induced climate change exacerbates heat and drought, allowing wildfires to spread faster.
More frequent and intense heatwaves are causing thousands of additional deaths and increasingly disrupting daily life, from hindering road and rail transport to impeding river navigation.
Reuters drone footage from El Tiemblo in Spain's Avila province, near Madrid, highlights the devastating impact of wildfires on the countryside and wildlife, showing charred deer carcasses in a forest burned to the ground.
The impact on forests has been widespread. A wildfire in the Landes region west of Bordeaux, a popular tourist destination, devastated 42,000 hectares, mostly of pine trees.
Authorities evacuated about 220,000 people, including holidaymakers and locals, as the fire threatened the Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast, accessible only by a single road. Hundreds of people departed on specially chartered ferries.
Several companies on the outskirts of the historic city of Bordeaux preemptively suspended operations as flames approached within 15 km of the urban area.
From Thursday, the danger level in southwestern France is likely to decrease thanks to some thunderstorms, lower temperatures, and increased humidity, Meteo France reported.
In Spain, authorities said the situation has improved in the central provinces of Avila and Madrid, but a fire in eastern Castellón remains uncontrolled after covering over 10,000 hectares, as weather conditions triggered several outbreaks.
About 10,000 evacuated residents have still not been able to return to their homes in Castellón. The fire perimeter is currently estimated at 75.5 km, regional authorities reported, as the fire raged for a fifth day on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Madrid emergency services said on X that a wildfire in the capital region did not spread overnight. Firefighters continued trying to strengthen the fire perimeter and extinguish remaining hotspots to prevent re-ignition, they added.
Evacuees from 15 towns in Madrid and Avila have begun returning to their homes, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said late Tuesday.