Wildfires are raging in parts of Europe as another heatwave sends temperatures soaring across the continent.
Dozens of fires burned in Greece over the weekend, with the most significant near Athens. In Spain and Portugal, a heatwave is causing temperatures to soar, with highs expected to reach up to 42C, exacerbating the tinder-dry conditions.
France
A large wildfire in the south of France prompted Tour de France organisers to ban fans on Monday from attending the finale of the third stage.
After a couple of days in Spain, the race entered France with a stage to the Pyrenees town of Les Angles, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from a fire that has burned almost 1,821 hectares (4,500 acres) of land.
Only riders and vehicles essential to the race would be allowed on the route, and spectators were asked not to gather on the roadside or at the finish area.
Nearly 700 firefighters were battling the blaze. People from more than a dozen villages have been evacuated.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, especially in southeastern Europe.
Greece
In Greece, 96 wildfires have broken out over the past 48 hours, although the majority have been brought under control.
The most significant fire broke out Sunday afternoon in the Mandra area west of the capital, Athens. Authorities deployed 29 aircraft and more than 200 firefighters in a race to tame the blaze before nightfall.
A fast-moving blaze at a recycling plant broke out Saturday evening near the Oraiokastro suburb of Thessaloniki, triggering evacuation alerts for three suburbs and a facility housing 157 people with disabilities.
Strong winds fanned the flames, and around 160 firefighters were deployed to battle the flames through the night until water-dropping aircraft could take off at dawn, the fire department said.
A 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of having started the blaze through negligence by generating sparks with his vehicle that set vegetation near the road alight, the fire department said.
The fire came days after another wildfire in a nearby area killed a 12-year-old boy and his father.
Spain and Portugal
Another surge in heat spread across Spain and Portugal, where hundreds of firefighters were also working to contain wildfires.
Spain’s weather agency AEMET warned that a heatwave that began Sunday would last at least until Thursday, bringing elevated daytime and nighttime temperatures. Across much of Spain, including the capital Madrid, daytime highs were expected to range between 37C and 42C (99F and 108F) on Monday and Tuesday.
Overnight conditions were also forecast to be uncomfortably hot, with temperatures easily exceeding 20C (68F) — which scientists refer to as ‘tropical nights’. This means people might not be recovering properly from daytime heat in the overnight hours.
In Portugal, inland locations saw temperatures soar Monday, while coastal Lisbon also baked under temperatures reaching 33C (91F). Temperatures were expected to drop later in the week.
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