Heat and fires in Europe – The US is preparing for record heat in many States

Firefighters, volunteers and emergency workers battled the blazes in many parts of southern Europe today, amid mass evacuations and warnings that the fight against climate change must be stepped up after London recorded its hottest day in its history.

The heat wave, with the mercury soaring above 40 degrees Celsius, has settled in southern and western Europe since last week. Scientists and meteorologists believe this phenomenon is part of a global warming pattern widely attributed to human activity. Among other things, it is predicted that much of China will suffer from the heat until the end of August.

Today, about 100 million Americans are expected to experience temperatures above 38 degrees, and heat records will be broken in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Power consumption is forecast to peak in the central US as homes and businesses turn on air conditioners to beat the heatwave, which will last into next week.

The extreme temperatures recorded last week in some parts of the Mediterranean have dropped, but the mercury is starting to rise again in Portugal, Spain and Italy.

Armando Silva, the Civil Protection commander in northern Portugal, said rising temperatures and strong winds would make it difficult to extinguish the large forest fire near the city of Mursa. This fire has reduced approximately 100-120,000 acres to ashes since Sunday. About 800 firefighters and six aircraft have been mobilized to extinguish it.

Above 40 degrees Celsius

In Spain, where emergency services are battling flames in five regions, the national weather service AEMET is predicting a rise in temperatures.

Fires are raging in many areas of Italy. One of them threatened to leave a large part of Trieste without electricity and water. Fourteen metropolitan areas, including those of Rome, Milan and Florence, will be placed on maximum heat alert from tomorrow Thursday. Forecasters predict temperatures will reach 40C in the north and central this week.

This landmark temperature was recorded for the first time in its history in Britain on Tuesday. At least 13 people drowned while swimming to cool off. The Met Office’s head of science and technology, Stephen Belcher, commented that unless emissions are reduced, the country could face similar heatwaves every three years. Chancellor of the Exchequer Simon Clarke said Tuesday’s “remarkable, unprecedented” record served “as a reminder of how important it is to tackle climate change”.

British engineers were today trying to repair railway lines bent by the heat while firefighters battled through the night to put out dozens of blazes. Tuesday was the busiest day for London’s firefighters since World War II.

“Our grandchildren will suffer”

In southern Europe, much larger fires continued their destructive work.

In Italy, a forest fire in Lucca forced about 500 people to flee their homes as flames reached their villages overnight. The fire caused explosions in liquefied gas tanks.

Another fire near the border with Croatia and Slovenia forced state-owned shipyard Fincantieri to close its plant in the port of Monfalcone, which employs 3,000 people. As the fire crossed the border and spread into Slovenia, the mayor of neighboring Trieste told local television that some parts of the city would soon be without electricity – which meant they would also have no water.

In France, where firefighters have been battling since July 12 to contain wildfires in the Gironde, Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau said greater investment was needed to deal with such threats.

In Portugal, as the Mursa fire raged, olive oil producer Manuel Lopez, 67, expressed fears for his trees and the future of the stricken region. “Our grandchildren will suffer if climate change is not stopped,” he said.

SOURCE: AMPE