Europe is sizzling from the first heat wave of the season, with temperatures amounting to 46°C (115°F) in Spain and wildfires spreading in several parts of the south.
Southern Spain is the worst-affected region, with temperatures in the mid-40s Celsius recorded in Seville and neighboring areas.
A new heat record for June of 46°C (115°F) was set on Saturday in the town of El Granado, according to Spain’s national weather service, which also announced this month is on track to be the hottest June on record.
Europe on alert over heat wave
Red heat warnings are in force in parts of Portugal, Italy, and Croatia, with numerous amber warnings covering areas of Spain, France, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
In Italy, emergency departments across the country have reported an uptick in heatstroke cases, mainly affecting “elderly people, cancer patients, or homeless people,” Mario Guarino, the vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine told the AFP news agency.
The severe heat has also affected countries across the western Balkans, where temperatures have skyrocketed to over 40°C (104°F).
Serbia registered its highest-ever recorded temperature since the 19th century. In Slovenia, the hottest-ever June temperature was recorded on Saturday. North Macedonia is also sweltering as temperatures reached 42°C (107.5°F) on Friday.
Some areas will continue to get hotter until the middle of the week, with temperatures rising across France, Germany, Italy, and the UK over the next few days. Yellow and amber alerts are in place for parts of England this weekend, and temperatures in London may reach 35°C (95°F) on Monday.
The heat has been building under a large area of high pressure, with dry air descending and warming. As that process has continued over a number of days, temperatures have skyrocketed. The area of high pressure will move eastwards over the next few days, taking the high temperatures northwards and eastwards with it.
Wildfire alert in Greece, as Smyrna burns
There is a very high risk of fire (Category 4) in the regions of Attica and Crete on Monday, as well as regional units on the Cyclades islands, the North Aegean, the island of Evia, and the region unit of Lakonia, according to the Fire Risk Map issued by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.
The airport of Izmir (Smyrna) in Turkey has been forced to temporarily close, with flights cancelled and diverted, as wildfires continue to rage. Flights were also grounded to and from Adnan Menderes Airport, which serves the coastal city of İzmir, a popular tourist destination, on Sunday. The airport departure board showed that several flights due to leave on Sunday evening have been suspended or cancelled.
Photos on social media showed clouds of smoke over İzmir as the sky turned orange with flames. The Mayor of İzmir, Dr. Cemil Tugay, said:
“Today [Sunday] is a very tough day for us; we are simultaneously battling numerous fires breaking out all across our beautiful İzmir. In collaboration with relevant institutions, our Fire Department, along with heavy machinery, tankers, and all field personnel, is on high alert.”
While it is hard to link individual extreme weather events to climate change, heat waves are becoming more common and intense due to climate change. Scientists at World Weather Attribution, who analyze the influence of climate change on extreme weather events, say June heatwaves with three consecutive days above 28°C (82°F) are about ten times more likely to occur now compared to pre-industrial times.
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