45 degrees in the shade: scorching heat and forest fires in southern Europe

But also in the self-described as often cool and rainy Great Britain For the first time in its history, the responsible Met Office has issued a warning about extreme temperatures. The situation on Friday was particularly dramatic in Portugal, where huge forest fires raged, aided by a drought and extreme heat that had lasted for many months.

“Exceptional, possibly record-breaking, temperatures are possible on Monday and then again on Tuesday,” the British weather service Met Office said on Friday. The nights would be exceptionally warm for Britain. This will “probably lead to far-reaching effects on people and infrastructure”. The British heat record is 38.7 degrees – measured on July 25, 2019 at the University of Cambridge. Meteorologists expect that this value will be exceeded.

Dramatic situation in Portugal

Have numerous forest fires Portugal under control for a week. On Friday, 13 larger and dozens of smaller fires raged there, according to civil defense. According to the ICNF, the blaze destroyed more than 25,000 hectares in just one week – an area the size of about 35,000 football pitches. The area destroyed by forest fires so far this year has increased to 38,600 hectares – 35 percent more than in the whole of the previous year (28,415).

Meanwhile, residents of Portugal and the many tourists vacationing in the country these days are groaning under unseasonably hot weather. On Wednesday, Pinhão in the Viseu district in the north of the country measured 47 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded on mainland Portugal in July, according to the Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). The exact value has yet to be confirmed.

Record heat in Spain

In the neighboring holiday country Spain 16 of the 17 autonomous communities were on heat alert on Friday. In the regions of Andalusia in the south and Extremadura in the west of the country, temperatures should climb to 44 and 45 degrees Celsius respectively in the shade. Only the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa are spared the extreme heat. In terms of magnitude and length, the heat wave in Spain will be one of the longest since records began in 1975, the national weather service said.

Around 2,300 people are in Spain been brought to safety because of a forest fire in the tourist stronghold Costa del Sol. The fire, which broke out at noon for an unknown reason, primarily threatened the area around the two communities of Alhaurín de la Torre and Alhaurín el Grande on the Sierra de Mijas mountain range near the coastal city of Málaga on Friday evening. Some tourists are also likely to be affected by the evacuations.

Out of France it was said that the heat wave was particularly intense and long-lasting. The orange heat warning level applied in eleven departments, and temperatures of around 40 degrees are expected to be reached in some places on Friday. Two large forest fires on the southern French Atlantic coast continued to spread. During the night of Friday, emergency services evacuated three communities south of Bordeaux. Civil protection warned of a particular fire hazard in the Rhone Valley, where the Mistral wind is likely to sweep over dry areas on Friday and Saturday.

Fires in South Tyrol and Lake Garda

Also Italy has been struggling with drought for weeks. The government therefore declared a state of emergency in five northern regions along the Po River, and other regions could follow. Bush and forest fires occur again and again. Danger still exists in Sicily and Sardinia. The fire brigade in South Tyrol fought a major fire in the hiking area near Frauwaal on Friday night. The authorities have been dealing with numerous fires on the northern part of Lake Garda since Sunday.

Village evacuated in Crete

Within 24 hours, in Greece Counted 108 forest fires, the fire brigade announced on Friday. A particularly large fire south of the Cretan port of Rhethymno could not initially be brought under control due to strong winds, and the town of Orne was evacuated as a precaution. There was also a fire south-east of Athens, and the residents of the Feriza settlement were advised by SMS to leave the area for the time being. For Saturday, the authorities for a number of regions again announced the second highest forest fire warning level – including the greater Athens area and several holiday islands.

Gallery: Drought around the globe

Gallery: Forest fires in Europe