Residents and tourists have fled French towns and villages as high winds and tinder-dry conditions stoke fires in several European nations.
In the past few days, over 10,000 people have been compelled to leave the southwestern Gironde region.
There are dozens of fires burning in Portugal and Spain, where temperatures have risen above 40 degrees Celsius.
At least 281 deaths were attributed to the heatwave in the two countries.
Several western Spanish towns have been evacuated.
The head of the French firefighters’ federation has issued a warning about the effects of global warming on civil protection. Grégory Allione stated, “Firefighters and civil security deal with the effects daily, and these effects are not in 2030, they are now.”
As a result of human-induced climate change, heatwaves have become more frequent, intense, and long-lasting. Since the beginning of the industrial era, the world has already warmed by approximately 1.1C, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments worldwide implement drastic emission reductions.
In Spain, firefighters fought to protect the town of Monsagro as fires erupted further south in the national park of Monfragüe, home to rare bird species. A forest fire reached the main N-5 route in Cáceres just east of the park, cutting it off.
On Friday, temperatures were expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in large portions of western Spain and Portugal. Thursday at Pinho in the north, the temperature reached 47 degrees Celsius, a record high for mainland Portugal in July.
However, according to forecasters in Spain, temperatures will begin to decline on Friday.
The Carlos III Health Institute reported on Thursday that at least 43 people had died as a result of the heat during the first two days of the most recent heatwave, on Sunday and Monday.
Since July 7, Portuguese health officials have recorded 238 more deaths than usual, which they attribute to the extreme heat and drought. The elderly, children, and people with chronic diseases are the most affected.
More than thirty fires were active in Portugal on Friday morning, including a week-old blaze in a forest near Pombal in the central region of Leiria. This year, more than 300 square kilometers have been consumed by fire, a larger area than all of 2021.
The Copernicus emergency management service of the European Union tweeted a map depicting the greatest fire risks in Southern Europe and Morocco.
To evacuate 4,000 residents of the Cazaux district southwest of Bordeaux, police in the southwest of France went door-to-door. Smoke was visible near the town of La Teste-de-Buch, and there were long lines of traffic as people tried to leave while police blocked entrances to prevent drivers from entering.
One tourist, Matthias, told BFMTV that he and his son were instructed to flee immediately “We began to pack our belongings, but the lady instructed us to leave everything as-is. You try to remain calm, but it’s difficult not to be terrified because everything is happening so quickly.”
In recent days, an estimated 73 square kilometers of pine forest have burned, including areas near Arcachon and Landiras. In some areas, temperatures will reach 40 degrees Celsius, and the head of the national firefighters’ federation warned there are still two months left of summer.
“The situation is extremely complicated. Our morale remains high, but fatigue sets in rapidly. Therefore, we propose a goal of 250,000 volunteer firefighters “Mr. Allione told RMC Television.
This week, forest fires have also been reported in Italy and Croatia, and strong winds have greatly increased the risk of wildfires in five regions of Greece, according to civil protection officials.
Central Greece, Attica, and Crete are among the most vulnerable regions, and officials have urged Greeks to refrain from actions that could spark a fire.
Friday saw reports of fires in both Crete and mainland Attica. The emergency services issued an urgent call for residents of Feriza Saronikos, southeast of Athens, to evacuate to the coast.
