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Europe on red alert as countries scorched by record-breaking heat wave
Two people died in northeastern Spain in a wildfire that spread quickly before firefighters brought it under control, as a heatwave sent June temperatures to record highs across much of Europe.
Europe on red alert as countries scorched by record-breaking heat wave
Wildfires rage across Europe as authorities struggle to contain flames fueled by unprecedented temperatures. / Photo: AA
19 hours ago

European countries such as France, Spain and Italy on Wednesday continue to suffer under a record-breaking heat wave, facing extreme temperatures, storms, fires, and even deaths.

A total of 38 Spanish provinces will be on heat, storm, and heat wave warnings on Wednesday, with seven autonomous communities expected to be on orange alert as temperatures exceed 40°C (104°F) in certain regions of the country, according to Spanish daily El Mundo.

Two people died in northeastern Spain in a wildfire that spread quickly before firefighters brought it under control, authorities said.

Catalan regional president Salvador Illa announced the deaths that occurred late Tuesday in a social media post around midnight.

The fire came amid a European heat wave that has sent thermometers soaring across large areas of the continent and set record high temperatures for June in Spain and Portugal.

The blaze broke out in the rural province of Lleida, sending a huge pillar of smoke over the rural countryside that it rapidly consumed.

Authorities issued warnings to residents via messages to smartphones and ordered 14,000 people to stay indoors, firefighters said. That order was lifted late on Tuesday.

The fire destroyed mostly farmland, but it also incinerated at least three old farmhouses and some other farm buildings.

A total of 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) was burned before firefighters established a perimeter and declared the blaze under control.

France, Italy, Belgium on alert

The French storm observatory said on X that 95% of the country has exceeded the 35°C (95°F) threshold for extreme heat, while four departments are on red and 55 on orange alert, according to the weather service Meteo France.

Catherine Vautrin, France’s health minister, also pointed to a "serious increase" in emergency medical service activity, underlining that it is still "too early" to assess the impact of the heat wave, according to broadcaster BFM TV.

One elderly person and a homeless man in the French cities of Grenoble and Besançon were found dead amid high temperatures on Tuesday.

In Italy, where 18 cities have been on red alert since Tuesday, a 53-year-old woman died and a worker went into a coma due to high temperatures.

Emergency rooms across the country have seen a surge in admissions of up to 20%, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.

Belgium also expects high temperatures of 33-38 °C (91.4- 100.4°F) in certain provinces, with four remaining on orange alert.

SOURCE:TRTWorld and agencies
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