We don’t have to look far to see what’s coming for us in the UK. Temperatures in Western Europe have exceeded 40°C, sparking wildfires and forcing farmers like the one pictured in Boa Vista, Portugal, to take drastic measures to save their livestock. The warm air that has pushed across Portugal and Spain is set to spread north and east over the next few days. This is behind the extreme weather warnings the UK is currently under. In Spain, about 300 firefighters supported by 17 planes and helicopters were battling the blaze in the eastern region of Extremadura, which has destroyed 2,500 hectares of land, local officials said. Speaking in parliament, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised “more resources” to fight forest fires fueled by “the climate emergency the planet is going through”. Temperatures are expected to continue to rise in Spain until Thursday, with highs of up to 44C expected in the Guadalquivir Valley in Seville in the south. Spain’s health ministry warned that the “intense heat” could affect people’s “vital functions” and cause problems such as heatstroke. He advised people to drink water frequently, wear light clothing and “remain as much as possible” in the shade or in air-conditioned areas. The sheep was doused with water to cool down after it appeared to have been burnt (Image: EPA) A fire closed a nearby motorway in both directions (Image: EPA) “It’s hell,” said Dania Arteaga, a 43-year-old cleaner at a shop in central Madrid, her forehead drenched in sweat. World Meteorological Organization spokeswoman Clare Nullis said: “We expect it to get worse. This heat is accompanied by drought. We have very, very dry lands right now. “The glaciers in the Alps are really being punished right now. It was a very bad time for the glaciers. And we’re still relatively early in the summer.’ Last week, an avalanche triggered by the collapse of the largest glacier in the Italian Alps amid unusually high temperatures killed 11 people. Heatwaves have become more frequent due to climate change, scientists say. As global temperatures rise over time, heat waves are expected to become more intense. In neighboring Portugal, firefighters were battling a blaze that has destroyed about 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of land in the central municipality of Ourem since Thursday. The fire was brought under control on Monday, but flared up again on Tuesday morning. Portugal has suffered from extreme heat – and it’s only going to get worse (Image: EPA) Extreme temperatures are likely to reach the UK from Sunday (Image: EPA) With temperatures topping 40C on Tuesday across much of the country, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa urged “maximum caution”. The government has issued a “state of alert” for wildfires across the country until at least Friday, raising the level of preparedness of firefighters, police and emergency services. The current situation evokes memories of devastating fires in 2017 that claimed over 100 lives in Portugal. Local officials in the city of Sintra near Lisbon closed a number of tourist attractions as a precaution, including palaces and monuments on a verdant mountain range popular with visitors. The World Meteorological Organization map shows the intense heat it is in Portugal and Spain In France, temperatures – which reached 30C in much of the country on Monday – could soar to 39C in some areas on Tuesday, national weather service Meteo France predicted. Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne has called on all government ministers to be ready to deal with the effects of the heatwave which is forecast to last up to 10 days. “Heat affects people’s health very quickly, especially the most vulnerable,” her office said in a statement. Britain has issued an extreme heat warning, with temperatures expected to reach 35C in the south-east over the next few days. The extreme heat warning was classified as ‘amber’, the second highest level of alert, indicating a ‘high impact’ on daily life and people.
