Europe surrounded by fire and heat: fires and alerts reach France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands

It is not just a heat wave and fires in the Iberian Peninsula; not even an aggressive process that only affects southern Europe. No. We are facing something much greater. Because the heat, and with it the risk of death and fires, is affecting practically the entire European continent to a greater or lesser extent. Temperatures break records here, but also in France, the United Kingdom or Germany. And that means deaths from heat, risk of fires and increased energy spending (at the worst time, when the European Commission and governments are looking for new supplies and trying to figure out ways to save to face the dreaded fall without Russian gas). Only in Spain it is estimated that the heat has been decisive in the death of more than 500 people, an amount similar to that of Portugal. Remember, in 2003 more than 70,000 people died in Europe due to a heat wave. And the worst thing is that what happened in the summer of 2022 is going to be repeated. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, temperatures across Europe will rise in the coming years at a rate higher than the average global temperature variation. Similarly, the frequency and intensity of extreme heat waves will also increase. “Heat waves in Western Europe heat up faster than in other regions. There are several factors that can play a role: drying out of the ground, changes in the jet stream, or high-pressure areas that tend to stay in one place for a long time,” Sjoukje Philip, from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, assures Dutch public television. Heat waves in Western Europe heat up faster than in other regions “A report from the European Commission highlights that Spain is one of the the EU countries with the greatest risk of drought, with their reserves 30% below the average of the last ten years (right now at 44%). This Tuesday, in our country, there are at least twenty active fires. The multiple fires, throughout almost the entire national geography, have devastated at least 25,000 hectares and have caused the death of two people: a rancher and a brigade member, both in Zamora, but the heat and sometimes also the fire are punishing others. The countries of Europe. The fires Portugal Almost the entire country presented this Sunday and Monday a “maximum”, “very high” or “high” risk of fires, especially the interior regions of the center and north. According to the latest balance from the authorities, the flames have already destroyed some 15,000 hectares of forest and scrubland. France The fires are historic in the Gironde region. And they don’t let up. In the municipalities of La Teste de Buch and Landiras, the flames have devastated some 15,000 hectares of forest in less than a week and continue to advance, summarizes France Info. That area is equivalent to an area of ​​150 square kilometers, as large as Paris. The French government has decided to send the reinforcement of 1,700 firefighters and more planes to try to control the two fires that are still active. Thousands of people have been evacuated.The heat Map of temperatures in EuropeMETEORED United KingdomThe United Kingdom Meteorological Office (Met Office) has issued a red alert for extreme heat in England for the first time in its history, with temperatures that could reach this Tuesday 43ºC. The country of mild temperatures is unbelievable. Much of the UK is experiencing very hot temperatures today, and it is set to be even warmer tomorrow. Here’s Aidan with more details. 👇 pic.twitter.com/YTP9qZLJUm— Met Office (@metoffice) July 18, 2022 This past Monday, in the absence of official confirmations, 40ºC were exceeded for the first time in the south of England. The beaches, up to the top in an image that is more reminiscent of the beaches of the Spanish Levante. Until this wave, the record was the 38.7º that were reached in 2019 in Cambridge. In London, the parks -such as Hyde Park- that were previously green, are now yellow. And at Luton airport, high temperatures on Monday caused the runway to warp (photo below shows workers flattening the runway). And the English are not used to this heat. On television they broadcast a report that tells how, in Spain, the people of Cordoba have been managing to cope with the high temperatures for centuries. The authorities ask the population to stay hydrated, to close the curtains at home and not expose themselves to the sun in the middle of the day. Ambulance services have been reinforced and citizens have been asked not to travel unless absolutely necessary. France Temperatures are also exceeding 40ºC. Up to 15 departments (provinces) on the French Atlantic coast are on red alert. Paris is not spared either, with the mercury hovering around 40. Temperatures of this order will be repeated in the west and in the interior of France.⚠ L’indicateur thermique national cache des important regional disparités. I preview it in images, after the debut of this cette vague de chaleur debuted on July 12. pic.twitter.com/WPCn5FsFIO— Météo-France (@meteofrance) July 19, 2022 In Brest, in the north of the country, high temperatures have forced many people to stay home. You cannot be on the streets of this port city where it is usual to have 70% humidity, but now with a temperature of 40ºC. Something similar happens in Rennes, where they have reached 41ºC. Italy is experiencing its worst drought in the last 70 years. They have been enduring extremely high temperatures since May. This has led to landslides in the Italian Alps and serious problems in guaranteeing the supply of water for agriculture. At the beginning of the week, the country endures temperatures of up to 42°C in the regions of Padania, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. , in the north and center of the country. But the forecasts that the week, and even all that remains of July, will be the same. “This heat wave is not something exceptional, but a reality that shows that we are entering a new era: that of fire, sand and heat,” says Italian geologist Mario Tozzi in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Reppublica. Germany The German Weather Service (DWD) announced this Sunday that the heat wave will arrive this Tuesday, when maximum temperatures of up to 40ºC are expected. At dawn, lows of between 19 and 11 degrees Celsius are predicted. There is therefore a sometimes very high risk of forest fires. In any case, according to the DWD, a cold front will reach Germany on Wednesday, causing slight cooling in the west. The heat will stay in the east of the country, with maximums of 34 to 39. Netherlands The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute declared a yellow alert for tropical heat for Monday and Tuesday. He announced that temperatures could exceed 38 degrees in the south of the country, something unusual that has led to the application of the National Heat Plan. Tropical heat, with between 33ºC and 38ºC, will be felt in the center and south of the country. The heat wave has also forced the start of the Nijmegen Four-Day March, an annual walk in which they participate, to be delayed until next Wednesday. about 45,000 people from all over the world.