Politicians throughout Europe are perspiring as their populations face a heatwave. Five countries in the continent are facing severely high temperatures. An urgent cabinet meeting was convened in the United Kingdom to handle the country’s first-ever ‘extreme red’ warning. A lawmaker in France called the oppressive heat ‘hell.’ The Portuguese prime minister is keeping an eye on threatening woodland fires. Similarly, Southern Europe is already battling the consequences of more scorching summer heat, which scientists say is a result of climate change. The temperatures in Western Europe are expected to reach more than 40 degrees Celsius next week, reported Politico.
The five countries in Europe feeling the effects of the heat are Spain, the UK, France, Italy and Portugal.
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Starting with Spain, the country witnessed its worst fir ever recorded in its history has burned over almost half of the Sierra de la Culbera’s forested region with some portions near Figueruela de Arriba still on fire. A wildfire in Sierra de Mijas, forced nearly 2,300 people to abandon their homes. The country is a well-known tourist area. Spain’s reservoirs were at 44.4 per cent due to the heat and lack of rainfall.
The British government experts have issued a warning that Monday and Tuesday (July 18 & 19) will be the hottest days in the country’s history. The weather department issued the first-ever red alert for exceptionally high temperatures, warning that everyone not only the ones weak, could get ill and even die.
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As fires flare in the Gironde department, more than 10,000 people in France have been evacuated from the southwest of the nation. Three significant fires are still active and more than 5,000 hectares of land have been burned, as per the local media.
After months of little to no significant rainfall, the Po River, the longest in Italy, has reached record low water levels. The essential water source stretches from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea which is used for drinking, irrigation, and hydroelectric generation. A fine of up to €500 may be imposed on anyone found utilising water for the water of public or private gardens, washing of courtyards, or car washing.
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Since last week, there have been numerous fires and the majority of them were in northeast Porto. The temperature in Lous, in middle Portugal, reached a record of 46.3 per cent.
(With inputs from agencies)
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