Temperatures have soared across the continent as wildfires burn on Spanish islands, and Germany has issued a red warning for storms.
Rural fires are burning in Tenerife, with 150 firefighters and 50 soldiers fighting to contain the flames that led to the evacuation of five villages and 3,000 people, according to a government website.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service has issued a warning about the danger caused by forest fires in Spain, Italy, and other countries.
Temperatures soared across the continent as fires engulfed parts of the Spanish island, and Germany issued a red alert for severe storms.
The fire is burning from the country of Tenerife, but 150 firefighters and 50 soldiers are fighting to contain the flames that led to the evacuation of five villages and 3,000 people, according to the government’s website.
The Copernicus climate service has warned of a high risk of fires in Spain, Italy, and other countries.
Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms are forecast across Germany on Thursday, with Europe’s national weather service warning citizens to be cautious.
Europe as Tenerife Fires Force Evacuations
The hottest temperatures to hit Europe this summer did not cool down after July was confirmed as the hottest month on record. Extreme and widespread heat is expected this week, according to Maxar Technologies Inc.
“Some of the highest temperatures are forecast to reach the high 30s to low 40s in southern France and Spain over the next 5 days,” Maxar said in his Thursday report.
Germany will continue to heat up, with the mercury reaching 32 C (90 F) this weekend in Frankfurt. Temperatures in Paris will reach 30 °C on Friday, according to Maxar.
Severe heat warnings are in place in Lyon, Grenoble, and other areas of southern France, telling people not to go out during the hottest part of the day.
All of the following temperatures are commonly found in northern Europe, although there is little coverage, says
Maxar. The outlook for England will also be cold and rainy, with warm weather early next week.
TENERIFE, CANARY ISLANDS, Spain, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Firefighters on Thursday battled a blaze that broke out in a mountain park on the Spanish island of Tenerife in the hot and dry air, spread to 41 km, and supported the authorities. . to evacuate 3,000 more people during the day.
“The fire is still growing… But the main thing is to protect the public places tonight,” regional director Fernando Clavijo told a press conference near midnight.
Europe as Tenerife Fires Force Evacuations
Earlier, he said that the forest fire is the most difficult that the Canary Islands have faced in the last 40 years.
Emergency services expect temperatures to rise on the island over the weekend, and a change in wind from Saturday morning could push the fire west from the north-east to Tenerife.
“The development of the fire is very slow now,” the head of emergency services, Pedro Martinez, told reporters. About 200 firefighters will continue to work through the night.
Earlier in the day, when water bombers managed to contain the fire south of Mount Teide – Spain’s highest – the flames “ran out of control” on the north face and spread through the dry forest to the valley, where there are many campsites and blankets, covering a large part of the island with smoke and ash.
“When you go out, you start breathing. It’s like something is stuck in your throat,” said Alba Gil, 37, a resident of the village of La Esperanza. In the village of La Esperanza, where police asked residents to stay indoors due to heavy smoke. He and his family stayed up until 4:00 a.m. worrying about the fire on the mountain.
Europe as Tenerife Fires Force Evacuations
Residents of the town of Aguamansa carry bottles, as a fire burns on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, on August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Borja Suarez License
Scorching heat and dry weather this summer have caused severe droughts in Europe and western Canada. The fires in Hawaii also killed 106 people, forced thousands to evacuate, and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina.
Scientists say that climate change, driven by the use of fossil fuels, has caused more frequent and severe weather events.
Last week’s heat in the Canary Islands has left many areas parched, increasing the risk of fire.
Officials warned that the spread of the fire could lead to further evacuations and closures, and advised people to heed public warnings. So far, 3,820 people have been ordered to stay at home until tomorrow, public safety director Montse Roman said.
The prison and reception center for migrant workers is located in a closed area.
The authorities have sent 17 planes and a total of 350 firefighters and soldiers. On Friday, 16 aircraft will resume operations due to high helicopter operations, Roman added.
“We are looking at the big mountain and the fire, we see this wall of fire, and we will see if they can control it, the situation looks bad,” said Celestino Suarez, 53 years old.
All-access to the island’s mountains, including the famous Mount Teide and the Teide Astrophysics Institute, has been closed to prevent accidents.
Both airports in Tenerife are operating normally, Spanish airport operator Aena said.
Corina Pons and Borja Suarez show; Written by Andrei Khalip; edited by Christina Fincher, Alexandra Hudson, and Grant McCool
Wildfires in Tenerife forced thousands of people to evacuate or stay indoors
The worst fire in the Canary Islands in at least 40 years is approaching the city of Santa Cruz
More than 7,500 people have been evacuated or ordered to stay at home as the worst wildfire in at least four years has ravaged the Canary Island of Tenerife, burning 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres) of land near the city of Santa Cruz.
Fernando Clavijo, the regional president of the Canary Islands, said more than 250 firefighters – supported by emergency teams and 17 aircraft, were working to tackle the blaze, which broke out in the northeast of the island on Tuesday and now has a circumference of 32 km (20 miles).
“The night was very tense,” he said at a press conference on Thursday. “This is the most difficult problem we have faced in the Canary Islands – if not in the last 40 years.”
Vicky Palma, a spokesman for Tenerife’s authorities, said the “certificate fire, which has not been seen in the Canary Islands since the records began”, created its own weather conditions and dumped ash on the city of El Rosario in the north-east of the island.
Europe as Tenerife Fires Force Evacuations
Clavijo said evacuations and lockdowns were announced in an effort to keep people safe and help firefighters do their jobs, as the fire continued to burn. Burn within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of Santa Cruz. “The decision was made because the fire was burning and the wind made the fire small in many places,” he added.
Alba Gil, a resident of the village of La Esperanza, said she and her family stayed up until 4 a.m. Tuesday because they were worried about the fires. “When you go out, you start breathing,” he told Reuters. “It looks like you have something stuck in your throat.”
Temperatures in the Canary Islands,
which have topped 40 C (104 F) in recent days, are expected to rise further on Saturday.
More than 2,000 people were evacuated in a fire on the nearby island of La Palma last month. That affected an area of 4,500 hectares. Forest fires have burned almost 64,000 hectares in Spain in the first seven months of the year. According to information from the Spanish government.
According to EU data, the 2022 fire season is the second worst on record. With fires burning 1,624,381 hectares—an area equivalent to Montenegro. In Spain alone, fires have burned about 315,705 hectares.
Speaking to the Guardian last month, Spain’s environment minister, Teresa Ribera, warned that hot weather had fueled more fires.
“In places where the climate is changing—like the Iberian Peninsula. The big fire is probably one of the most real, the most common, and the most important. Causes of damage and pain that climate change is bringing,” he said.
