Temperatures reached new records Monday, as the northern hemisphere is witnessing a heat wave and forest fires, which required the evacuation of 1,200 children from summer camps near Athens.
Health authorities in several countries in Europe, Asia and North America sounded the alarm and urged the population to drink water and fluids and to take shelter from the sun, in directives that constitute a new reminder of the dangers of global warming.
And near Athens, a forest fire fanned by strong winds broke out near the coastal town of Loutraki, where the mayor said summer camps for children were at risk.
“We rescued 1,200 children who were in summer camps,” said the mayor, Yorgos Gionis.
The emergency services are also battling wildfires in Kouvaras and the resorts of Lagonissi, Anavisos and Saronida near Athens.
And the European Space Agency stated that “Europe may record this week its highest temperature ever, specifically in the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, where the temperature is expected to reach 48 degrees Celsius.”
And the United Nations announced on Monday that “the 48.8 degrees Celsius recorded in Sicily in 2021 is the highest ever verified in Europe.”
“Extreme weather conditions greatly affect human health, environmental, economic, agricultural, energy and water resources systems,” said Petteri Taalas, director of the United Nations Meteorological and Climate Agency. “This highlights the increasingly urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible,” he added.
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2023-07-17 21:57:09