Europe is in the grip of a severe heatwave, with temperatures in Spain approaching the country’s all-time record and devastating wildfires spreading. Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET has warned of ‘extraordinary danger’ as it forecasts temperatures of up to 44C on Thursday, not far off the 47.6C record heat that hit the country five years ago.
Popular Spanish tourist spots, including the areas around Malaga, Valencia, and Alicante, could see temperatures reach as high as 42C. Italy and France have also been affected by the extreme weather, with wildfires in southwestern France forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 people near Bordeaux. Dramatic footage shared on social media shows huge blazes in popular destinations like Sicily and Sardinia, during the height of the summer holidays.
The latest surge in temperatures comes after heatwaves in June led to a spike in deaths across Europe, with 14,000 more people dying than would normally have been expected at this time of year, according to the EuroMOMO mortality monitoring hub. Wildfires have burnt more land in Europe already this year than the annual average in the past two decades, data shows, as the world’s fastest-warming continent has endured three stifling, virtually back-to-back heatwaves so far this year.
In Spain, thousands of people have been evacuated due to wildfires, with the vast majority of the country at ‘extreme’ risk of a wildfire, according to Spanish forecaster AEMET. On Thursday, the warnings cover large parts of the country’s eastern half, with the rest of the country at ‘very high’ or ‘moderate’ risk. Going into Friday, the vast majority of the country, carrying the northwestern and southwestern corners, along with parts of the eastern coast, are at ‘extreme’ risk, the forecaster said.
The heatwaves have also had a significant impact on human life, with France recording 5,764 excess deaths between June 17 and July 2, representing a 36 per cent excess mortality. Health Minister Stephanie Rist had originally estimated the excess deaths recorded in late June at 2,025. The record-breaking heatwaves saw temperatures go well into the 40s.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday visited the fire-ravaged area in Guadalajara and called for a pact between political parties to fight climate change. ‘Year after year we clearly see how climate change kills and destroys wealth in our communities,’ Sánchez said in the village of Tamajón, located less than two hours by car northeast of Madrid. ‘This isn’t politics. It is science, it’s about facts.’
