MADRID: On Sunday, firefighters battled to put out wildfires raging throughout southwest Europe as the heatwave continued unabated, with Britain on track to break temperature records this coming week.
Since last week, fires burning in France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain have devastated thousands of hectares of land, driven dozens from their homes, and killed a number of first responders. Parts of southwest Europe are experiencing their second heatwave in recent weeks. Scientists attribute the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events like heatwaves and drought to climate change.
Firefighters in the Gironde area of southwest France are battling to contain two forest fires that have burned through about 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) of land since Tuesday.More than 14,000 people, including locals and visitors, have had to leave their campsites due to the wildfires.
To accommodate evacuees, seven emergency shelters have been established. In some areas of southern France, Meteo France predicted temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, with fresh heat records anticipated on Monday. “The temperature is rising. The nation is currently experiencing a heatwave “said the weather office.
