Unfortunately, the heat in Europe has only taken a short break – especially in the southwest of the continent, it is again becoming record-breaking hot. The Spanish weather service Aemet sounded the alarm for 16 of the 17 autonomous communities in the popular holiday destination on Wednesday. Only the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa were spared the heat, with temperatures of up to 44 degrees in the shade.
It was “hell”, wrote the newspaper “El País”. The well-known newspaper quoted Aemet press secretary Cayetano Torres as saying: “This is really outrageous!” According to Aemet, this second heat wave of the year in Spain will likely be one of the longest since records began in 1975.
According to official information, the heat wave started on Saturday, is set to peak in the middle of this week and is expected to continue into early next week.
Red warning in different regions
It will be especially hot in Andalusia in the south and in Extremadura in the west of the country on Wednesday, with temperatures up to 44 degrees. In some provinces of these regions, as well as in the autonomous community of Galicia, the red alert was in effect. “Only” yellow alert was issued for parts of Mallorca. There, the mercury column should rise to 38 degrees on Wednesday.
In the cities, people went to fountains and ice cream parlors, fully air-conditioned malls and cafes in the morning to cool off. According to media reports, the beaches on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast were also quickly full. Because of the tropical nights, many Spaniards complained about sleeping problems.
Heat fuels wildfires
Combined with weeks of drought and strong winds, the heat favors the outbreak and spread of forest fires. The current worst fire raged on Wednesday in the municipality of Las Hurdes near the border with Portugal. The flames have already destroyed about 3,500 hectares there.
Scorching heat probably lasts longer
In many regions of southern Europe, people have been moaning under high temperatures for weeks – and the blistering heat is expected to continue. In Portugal it was well above 40 degrees this week, in France it should be 39 degrees locally on Wednesday according to the weather service Météo France – and the trend is rising. Emergency services rescued thousands of people from the spreading flames in the wildfires on France’s Atlantic coast.
And the next heat wave is already starting in Austria: while temperatures rise to 34 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Thursday, up to 38 degrees are expected from next week.
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.
