Record temperatures were reported in Britain yesterday and firefighters battled blazes across southern Europe as citizens scrambled to escape the heat, which is fueling their fears about the effects of climate change.
In Spain, an out-of-control forest fire engulfed an excavator near the northern city of Tabara, forcing the driver to flee with his clothes on fire.
Across the country and other parts of southern Europe, there were signs that conditions were improving after days of blistering heat that killed hundreds of people and caused a dangerous drought.
However, the heat wave is now moving north. Yesterday, 38 degrees Celsius was recorded in the south of England, and a record 40 degrees is forecast for today, the British Meteorological Service announced.
Railway companies canceled services and some schools were closed while ministers urged citizens to stay at home and the government activated the state of emergency alert.
Due to the heat at the Breeze Norton Air Force Base, the asphalt on the runway was melting, which is why flights were suspended. Retail stores reported that sales of air conditioners and fans increased significantly.
"We hoped that we would not get into this situation, but for the first time in history we predict that the temperature will exceed 40 degrees Celsius," said climatologist Nikolas Christidis and added that he believes that this is a consequence of climate change.
Forest fires have been raging across Portugal, Spain and France, and authorities have warned that there is a risk of them spreading because of the "ideal" conditions for it due to high heat and drought.
Spain was yesterday facing the last day of a heat wave that has claimed 510 lives, according to authorities.
The heat wave is now moving north, with Germany and Belgium set to be hit in the coming days
In Portugal, the temperature dropped over the weekend, but the risk of forest fires remains very high, the Portuguese Meteorological Institute said. About 1000 firefighters, supported by 284 vehicles and 18 aircraft, battled 10 forest fires, mostly in northern regions, authorities said. Two people died trying to escape from the flames in their cars in the northern area of Murka, the media reported.
Belgium and Germany are among the countries expected to be hit by the heat wave in the coming days.
The EU announced that it is monitoring the fires raging in the southern states, and over the weekend it sent firefighting planes to Slovenia.
"Of course, we continue to monitor the situation during this hitherto unprecedented heat wave and will continue to mobilize support," said spokesman Balazs Ujvari.
In the Gironde region of southwestern France, a fire destroyed 14 hectares of land, local authorities announced yesterday. Over 800 people were evacuated from the area. France issued a red warning for several regions and appealed to citizens to be "extremely careful".
In Italy, where smaller fires broke out, temperatures above 40 degrees are seen in several regions.
Switzerland also felt the effects of the heat. Akspo, the operator of the Beznau nuclear power plant, said on Monday that it is forced to reduce production in order not to overheat the Are River, from which it draws water for cooling.
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