Wildfires flare up – firefighter in Spain died in action

In France, the red warning level for heat waves applies to 15 of the 101 departments on Monday. The Atlantic coast is particularly affected, including Brittany for the first time. It could be one of the hottest days in the country’s history. In half of France maximum temperatures are expected between 38 and 40 degrees.

15,000 hectares of forest burned
The forest fires that have been raging for days are still not extinguished. South of Bordeaux on the Bassin d’Arcachon, 15,000 hectares have already burned down, mainly pine forests. In the town of Teste-de-Buch, the fire reached the Atlantic beach. South of the Dune du Pilat, a popular tourist destination, huge plumes of smoke could be seen. Some 16,200 holidaymakers have had to leave campsites and accommodations since Tuesday.

There are now 1,700 firefighters in the region. The Ministry of the Interior announced on Sunday evening that it would increase the number of fire-fighting aircraft from six to nine.

Britain bursts 40 degrees
Britain could cross the 40-degree mark for the first time at the beginning of this week. Authorities have issued a red heat warning for the first time in history. The previous maximum temperature in the country was 38.7 degrees in 2019.

British leaders saw no cause for concern. Prime Minister Boris Johnson skipped a crisis meeting on the subject, his deputy Dominic Raab called for “enjoy” the sun.

Man (50) dies of heat stroke in Madrid
A 50-year-old man died near Madrid on Sunday from the effects of heat stroke. His body temperature had risen to 40 degrees. The day before, an employee of the road maintenance department had died of heat stroke.

In addition to forest fires that flare up again and again, Italy is also suffering from the lack of rain. Farmers’ association Coldiretti warned on Sunday of crop losses of up to 70 percent in some areas. Fruit and vegetables are burning in the fields, a statement said. Varieties from peppers to melons, apricots, tomatoes and aubergines are affected. In Sicily and Sardinia, authorities have again raised forest fire warning levels in some parts of the islands. In Sicily, the highest level three already applies locally.

Danger in Greece “very high”
The Greek fire service also continues to rate the risk of wildfires in many parts of the country as “very high”. The Attica region with the capital Athens, the islands of Euboea, Crete, Lesvos and Samos and the northeast of the Peloponnese peninsula were particularly affected on Monday. The sometimes strong winds that blow into the Aegean create problems – they can heat up in no time and cause an almost extinguished fire. In Portugal, about a thousand emergency services have now fought 16 active forest fires on Sunday evening. According to the conservation authority ICNF, flames in Portugal have destroyed about 30,000 hectares of forest in just over a week.

In both countries of the Iberian Peninsula, there was cause for hope in anticipation of falling temperatures. In Portugal, the government therefore did not want to extend the “Estado de contingência”, the third-highest state of emergency, which expires on Monday after a week. “A temperature drop of between two and eight degrees is expected in the coming days,” Interior Minister José Luis Carneiro said. In Spain, the heat wave that has raged almost the entire country for nine days between Monday and Tuesday, the national weather service Aemet reports.

Water Restrictions on the Istrian Peninsula
On the Croatian peninsula of Istria, which is popular with holidaymakers, restrictions on water consumption came into effect on Monday due to the ongoing drought. According to Croatian media, drinking water from the tap can no longer be used for washing vehicles, cleaning streets, watering green areas or showering on beaches and in swimming pools. The only exception is cleaning markets and fish markets