After temperatures reached high levels in several European countries, emergency services woke up this Wednesday (20) fighting the fire that devastates forests in the southern part of the continent.
About 500 residents of Lucca, in the Italian region of Tuscany, had to leave their homes after a forest fire broke out in the city and caused gas tanks to explode. Further north, in the Trieste area, the extent of the flames has reached beyond the Slovenian border – the local city council has warned that parts of the city in Italy must be without electricity and water supply.
In Greece, residents also had to be evacuated due to the fire that consumed the vegetation on Mount Pentelicus, north of Athens. In an operation with 500 agents, firefighter helicopters poured water over the site. Strong winds of 80 km/h, however, made it difficult to contain the fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron said this Wednesday (4) that the climate crisis is accelerating the occurrence of fires, which, according to him, will lead to the imposition of structural changes in countries.
The statement by the head of the Élysée, however, was given on the day when the climate was milder in France. From around 40 °C recorded on Tuesday, thermometers reached temperatures of around 20 °C on Wednesday, and the fall helped to control the fires that voraciously hit the southwest of the country.
On the other hand, there was a rise in temperature in Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal, where fires have consumed more than 10,000 hectares since Sunday and where more than a thousand deaths have been linked to the heat.
In Spain, meanwhile, 500 deaths were weather-related. The country managed to put out the forest fire in the province of Zamora, but two other outbreaks, in the Galicia region, remain uncontrolled.
Temperatures are high due to an area of high pressure on the continent, formed by a mass of dry air that comes from North Africa, in the Sahara region, which makes the climate hotter and drier.
The UK heat
In recent days, the UK has been another European country to suffer from the heat. This Tuesday, the temperature reached 40.3ºC, a record. Thus, the government triggered the maximum emergency alert, indicating that the weather would affect not only people’s health, but also infrastructure and transport systems.
Several train journeys from London were cancelled, schools were closed and workers were told to work remotely – few homes, however, have air conditioning, and most of them were built to retain heat. Amid the state of national emergency, a massive fire hit Wennington, east of London, destroying many properties. Smoke could be seen over the River Thames, and residents of the area were evacuated from their homes for safety.
The mayor of the English capital, Sadiq Khan, said firefighters face “immense pressure”. The corporation, which on average receives between 300 and 350 calls a day, had to respond to more than 1,600 requests on Tuesday. The London chief also urged citizens not to leave glass or cigarette butts on the ground and not to have barbecues on grass or wooden counters, to prevent fires.
Emergency services were also overwhelmed with calls to assist people with dizziness, fainting and difficulty breathing. As in France, however, temperatures on Wednesday were lower, and the maximum was 27ºC in London, according to the local meteorological service.
