Most of Spain was on alert on Wednesday as temperatures soared above 45 degrees Celsius with parts of western Europe hit by a second heat wave in weeks. France and Portugal also experienced scorching temperatures this week, with forest fires raging in all three countries.
Spain’s state weather agency Aemet said some areas were “suffocating”, especially the worst-hit Andalusia in the south, Extremadura in the south-west and Galicia in the north-west. Everyone was put on alert, meaning residents were asked to be cautious and monitor the weather forecast. Travel was not advised “unless absolutely necessary.” Apart from the Canary Islands, all other regions of Spain were placed on lower alert levels due to the heat. The highest temperature in Spain was recorded on Wednesday in the Andalusian town of Almonte where the mercury reached 45.6 degrees Celsius (114.1 Fahrenheit) at 5:30 p.m. (1530 GMT). Many other southern cities such as Seville and Córdoba experienced temperatures above 44 degrees Celsius. The heat wave, which started last weekend and is expected to last until Sunday. Forest fires have already burned at least 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) in western Spain near the border with Portugal. Authorities in Portugal have announced that one person has died in fires after a body was found in a burnt area in the northern region of Aveiro. In Spain, nearly 500 residents have been temporarily evacuated due to a fire northwest of Madrid that firefighters battled to control on Wednesday, regional emergency services said. Heatwaves have become more frequent due to climate change, scientists say. As global temperatures increase over time, they are expected to become more intense. Spain has already suffered from a drought this year, with water reserves down to 44 percent of capacity, compared to an average of 65 percent over the same period over the past 10 years. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Spain was 47.4 degrees Celsius last August. Heatwave hits Spain as UK braces for rising temperatures © 2022 AFP
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