The fire started in a wooded area in the north of the Spanish island. According to the president of La Palma, there is a strong wind and the number of people to be evacuated could double.
The south of Europe suffers from scorching heat and severe drought, ideal conditions for forest fires. In Greece and Italy, the government is already warning against this. In Croatia, the fire brigade had to turn out on Friday to contain a large wildfire.
It is also very hot in parts of France. Interior Minister Gérard Darmanin writes on Twitter that a 19-year-old volunteer with the fire brigade died on Saturday while extinguishing a wildfire.
Acropolis closed
The Greek authorities advise citizens to drink plenty of water, to seek shade and, for example, not to go running. People in heavy occupations are not allowed to work between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. Like Friday, the Acropolis, the country’s main tourist attraction, remains closed during those same hottest hours.
According to news channel ‘Rai News’, the Italian government will give code red for fourteen cities on Saturday, the highest risk level for the entire population, not just the vulnerable. The heat is likely to last for days, with the new heat wave peaking on Tuesday. It will cool down slightly from Thursday, but even then the maximum temperature is still expected to be around 35 degrees.
The Italian Air Force, responsible for the meteorological forecasts in the Boot, speaks of temperatures above 38 degrees from Saturday in regions such as Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria and Apulia, with peaks above 40 degrees. Those peaks are mainly expected on Sunday, with 43 degrees in Rome and 48 degrees in Sardinia. The weekend will be “very warm” in many cities in the center and south of the country.
European temperature record
It was also hot in the countries around the Mediterranean on Friday. Several people became unwell in Greece and Italy. Near Milan, someone who was working outside succumbed to the heat. Spain is also experiencing very high temperatures.
The European Space Agency (ESA) takes into account that the European temperature record of 48.8 degrees may be broken in the coming days. According to scientists, the arrival of the natural phenomenon El Niño, amplified by climate change, could set world records.
Very high temperatures are also expected elsewhere in Europe (for example Spain, Poland, the east of France) and the world (including China and the south of the US).
/nginx/o/2023/07/15/15458606t1h9c28.jpg "Unexpected Disappointment at the Amusement Park: Missing Meal and Uncompensated Expenses")
