As reported, the limit of 35 degrees was crossed in Austria on Sunday. The situation is no different in some other European countries. Forest fires have broken out in both Germany and Greece, while regions in northern Italy are experiencing persistent drought.
“At the moment, the situation regarding the use of drinking water is under control, but we are experiencing a very serious emergency in agriculture. The volume of the Po River is 72 percent lower than it should be,” said Piedmont president Alberto Cirio. In 170 communities in his region, residents are only allowed to use water for essential purposes such as drinking and cooking. In ten cities, mainly in the province of Novara, the water supply is completely cut off at night. The state of emergency is “inevitable,” said Agriculture Minister Stefano Patuanelli. In some regions it has not rained for months. The water levels of all lakes, with the exception of Lake Garda, are well below the seasonal average.
Measures to save water
According to the responsible environmental agency, some northern cities are already supplied with water by truck. At the Ostiglia power station near the Lombard city of Mantua, one of three power generators shut down because there was not enough water to cool the power plant. The presidents of the northern Italian regions now want to declare a state of emergency so that they can take further measures. They will meet with the Minister of Agriculture on Wednesday to work on solutions for the water supply. Agriculture has been hit hardest. The worst drought in 70 years is expected to lead to a collapse in fruit and vegetable production and the grain harvest.
Wind makes extinguishing difficult
As Italy grapples with drought, wildfires rage in Spain, Greece and Germany. In the west of the island of Euboea, the Greek fire brigade fought the flames on Sunday night, which spread quickly due to the strong wind. A total of 150 firefighters were deployed, some of whom fought the forest fire from the air. A village had to be evacuated.
In Germany, about 20 residents left a Treuenbrietzen district on Sunday morning. On Friday a forest fire broke out in an area of about 60 hectares, on Saturday there were about 40. In the night on Sunday, however, the forest fire spread again and the wind made the extinguishing work more difficult. Because the affected area is a former explosion and training area, where ammunition and explosives are still lying around, the emergency services cannot get close to the fire without endangering their lives.
The situation is similar in Spain, where several forest fires have broken out in recent days. According to the regional government, there are still five fires in Navarra. All available firefighters are present and residents of several small towns have been taken to safety. In the Sierra de la Cluebra Mountains, near the border with Portugal, 25,000 hectares of forest were destroyed. Lower temperatures and rain would bring the situation back under control.
More than 40 degrees in Spain
The Spaniards could breathe a sigh of relief for the first time on Sunday. After an unusually long heat wave, temperatures dropped below 40 degrees in many parts of the country and below 30 degrees Celsius in some areas.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
