In Spain, a wildfire swept through a field and engulfed an excavator near the northern city of Tabara, forcing the driver to run for his life as flames burned the clothes off his back. read more In that country and some other parts of southern Europe, there were some signs that conditions were easing after blistering days that killed hundreds and left the countryside dangerously dry, authorities said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register But the heat wave was moving north. Temperatures fell to 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in southern England on Monday and are forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, according to Britain’s Met Office. read more Train companies canceled services and some schools closed, while ministers urged the public to stay home and the government issued a “national emergency” alert. Flights have been suspended at Luton Airport after staff discovered a “runway defect”. Hot weather had melted the runway at RAF Brize Norton Air Force Base, Sky News reported. read more Sales of electric fans, hoses, air conditioners and sprinklers are soaring, retailers said. read more “We were hoping we wouldn’t get to this situation, but for the first time we’re forecasting over 40C in the UK,” Met Office climate performance scientist Dr Nikos Christidis said. “Climate change has already affected the likelihood of extreme temperatures in the UK. The chances of seeing 40C days in the UK could be up to 10 times more likely in the current climate than in a natural climate unaffected by the human impact,” he said. .
“WE DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING”
Fires were raging across Portugal, Spain and France and authorities warned there was a risk of more as drought conditions continued. Spain was facing the final day of a heatwave that lasted more than a week, which had caused more than 510 heat-related deaths, according to estimates from the Carlos III Health Institute. In Tabara, locals said the excavator driver – identified as Angel Martin Arjona – was trying to dig a trench between the fire and the buildings. But orange flames surrounded the vehicle. Television footage showed him walking out of the fire, stumbling and then getting up as people shouted for him and a firefighter ran to help. A firefighter works to contain a regular fire in Louchats as fires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier read more The driver was airlifted to hospital with burns, witnesses said, although there were no detailed reports of his condition. With fires burning thousands of hectares in Galicia, Castile and León, Catalonia, Extremadura and Andalusia, Spain mourned the death of a firefighter in the northwestern province of Zamora on Sunday afternoon. In El Pont de Vilomara in Catalonia, evacuees gathered outside an urban center, among them pensioner Onofre Munoz, 69, who said his house and truck were completely destroyed. “We bought the van when I retired and now it’s completely burnt out. We have nothing,” he said. “Our house had several windows, they blew out and a strong fire came in.”
EU SENDS SUPPORT
In Portugal, temperatures dropped over the weekend, but the risk of wildfires remained very high, the Portuguese Meteorological Institute said. About 1,000 firefighters, supported by 284 vehicles and 18 aircraft, were battling 10 blazes, mostly in northern areas, authorities said. Two people died trying to escape the flames in a car in the northern region of Murka, media reported. Belgium and Germany were among the countries expecting the heat wave to hit them in the coming days. The EU said it was monitoring fires raging in southern member states on Monday, sending a firefighting plane to Slovenia over the weekend, adding to recent deployments in France and Portugal. “We are of course continuing to monitor the situation during this unprecedented heat wave and will continue to mobilize support as needed,” spokesman Balaz Ujwari said in a briefing. In the Gironde region of southwestern France, fires have destroyed 14,800 hectares (37,000 acres), local authorities said Monday. More than 14,000 people have been evacuated from the area. France has issued a red alert, the highest possible, in several areas, with residents being told to “be extremely careful”. In Italy, where smaller fires have been burning, forecasters expect temperatures above 40C in several areas over the next few days. Switzerland also suffered the effects of the heat. Axpo, the operator of the Beznau nuclear plant, said on Monday it had been forced to cut output to avoid overheating the Aare River from which it draws its cooling water. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report from Reuters offices. Written by Raissa Kasolowsky abd Andrew Heavens. Editing by Alex Richardson and Rosalba O’Brien Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
