Wildfires have intensified across Southern Europe, with efforts continuing overnight to protect the vicinity of Greece’s third-largest city. Reports indicate at least three additional fatalities in Spain, Turkey, and Albania.
Greek coast guard vessels evacuated tourists and local residents. In Spain, a volunteer assisting in firefighting efforts lost his life, while authorities struggle to extinguish fires along the Mediterranean coast, according to reports from Bloomberg.
A wildfire near Vilos, prompted the evacuation of two beaches on Chios Island, as strong winds hampered firefighting efforts. Thousands of residents fled the town of Kato Achaia in northwestern Peloponnese and Agios Konstantinos west of Athens.
A senior Greek fire official stated that the country is facing some of its most challenging days of this wildfire season, with dozens of new fires igniting in a single day and adverse weather conditions obstructing containment efforts. Officials reported that Athens has sent aid to neighboring Albania and has joined international efforts to combat numerous wildfires.
An 80-year-old man was confirmed dead in a fire south of Tirana. Additionally, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences following the death of a volunteer firefighter in the drought-affected region of Castilla y León, north of Madrid, where evacuations have displaced thousands.
Officials also reported that a forest worker lost his life on Wednesday while battling a wildfire in southern Turkey. According to the forestry ministry, the worker died in an incident involving a fire truck, which also resulted in injuries to four others.
Meanwhile, a fourth heatwave this summer continues to sweep through, with temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees Celsius in parts of England. A health warning remains in effect for the West Midlands, East Midlands, Southeast England, London, and East England, after temperatures peaked at 33.4 degrees the previous day, as reported by British news agencies.
Large areas of England are currently under yellow weather warnings. The highest readings have been recorded in Benson, Oxfordshire, Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, and Northolt in western London.
Germany is also experiencing a summer heatwave, with temperatures likely to exceed 30 degrees Celsius in most regions. The German weather service forecasts maximum temperatures could reach 37 degrees Celsius, with only a slight reduction along the northern coasts.
Typhoon Arrives
In other news, Typhoon Podul made landfall in Taiwan yesterday, prompting authorities to close schools and government offices as heavy rains threatened to cause further damage to the southeastern part of the island.
The storm hit Taitung County on the eastern coast shortly after noon, moving across the southern third of the island at a speed of 36 kilometers per hour.
The Central Weather Bureau reported that the severity of the storm remains uncertain, with high waves and strong winds observed across many areas of southeastern Taiwan, though heavy rainfall has not yet occurred.