You don’t have to go far to see what’s going on in the UK.
Temperatures in Western Europe have risen to 40°C, forest fires have broken out and these farmers in Boavista, Portugal have been forced to take drastic measures to save their livestock.
The heat that entered Portugal and Spain will spread to the north and east in the coming days.
This is behind the extreme weather warnings the UK is currently receiving.
In Spain, some 300 firefighters, supported by 17 planes and helicopters, were battling wildfires in eastern Extremadura that have destroyed 2,500 hectares of land, local officials said.
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, spoke with Parliament and promised “more resources” to combat forest fires caused by “the land that is experiencing climatic emergencies”.
Temperatures in Spain will continue into Thursday, with temperatures of up to 44 degrees Celsius expected in the Guadalquivir valley south of Seville.
The Spanish Ministry of Health has warned that “extreme heat” can affect the “vital functions” of people and cause problems such as heat stroke.
He advised people to drink plenty of water, wear light clothing and “stay as long as possible” in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
“It’s hell,” said Dania Arteaga, a 43-year-old cleaner at a store in central Madrid. Her forehead was covered with sweat.
Claire Nuris, a spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organization, said: This heat is accompanied by drought. Currently, there is very dry soil.
“Currently, the glaciers in the Alps are really punished. It was a very bad season for the glaciers. And we are still relatively early in the summer.”
Last week, the largest glacier in the Italian Alps collapsed in an avalanche amid unusual temperature rises, killing 11 people.
Scientists say the heat is becoming more prevalent due to climate change. Heat waves are expected to become more intense as the earth’s temperature rises over time.
In neighboring Portugal, firefighters have been battling flames that have devastated some 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of land in the central municipality of Urem since Thursday.
The fire was contained Monday but reignited Tuesday morning.
Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa called for “maximum caution” as temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius in most of the country on Tuesday.
The government has declared “alert” against forest fires throughout the country, raising the level of preparedness of firefighters, police and emergency medical services, at least until Friday.
The current situation evokes memories of a devastating forest fire that killed more than 100 people in Portugal in 2017.
In the city of Sintra, near Lisbon, as a precaution, local officials have closed a number of attractions, including palaces and monuments in the lush mountains that are popular with visitors.
Meteor France, of the French Meteorological Agency, forecast that temperatures in France, which reached 30 degrees in most of the country on Monday, could rise to 39 degrees in some areas on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne urged all government ministers to prepare for the effects of the heat waves, which are expected to last up to 10 days.
“Fever affects people’s health very quickly, especially the most vulnerable,” his office said in a statement.
The UK has issued an extreme heat warning and temperatures in the south-east are expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
Extreme heat alerts are classified as the second highest alert level, “amber,” indicating a “high impact” on daily life and people.
Source: Metro
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
