France is urgently tackling wildfires burning in the southern region, having evacuated more than 10,000 people, while various parts of Europe continue to be affected by intense heatwaves.
Foreign news agencies report that the wildfire situation in southern France remains severe, with over 10,000 people ordered to evacuate cities and more than ten small villages near the Pyrenees foothills close to the Spanish border, as heatwaves impact many areas across Europe.
Pierre Raynaud de la Motte, a local official, posted on platform X that the wildfires near Trévillach, close to Perpignan, have already destroyed at least 11,366 acres (approximately 28,748 rai) of land.
Laurent Nuñez, France's Minister of the Interior, warned on TF1 television, “This morning, the situation worsened again, and today the battle against the wildfire has resumed,” noting that strong winds could further intensify the fires.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced that the European Union will send four firefighting planes stationed in Cyprus and Spain to assist France in combating the wildfires.
The wildfires have also affected neighboring Spain, where over 5,400 acres in the Les Gavarres nature reserve have already been destroyed.
Reuters reported that Catalonia authorities said Saturday evening that the wildfire situation has stabilized and they expect to fully extinguish the fires within this week.
In southern Catalonia, in Castellon province in eastern Spain, 500 people were evacuated after wildfires spread into the Sierra de Espadan National Park.
Matt Taylor, chief meteorologist at BBC Weather, said temperatures in southwestern France could again reach 40 degrees Celsius this week, while some areas in Portugal and Spain have already exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
“Although this heatwave may not break records like in June, it is still exceptionally severe for this time of year,” Taylor said. “With high temperatures expected to persist through next week and widespread reports of little rainfall, the risk of additional wildfires remains high.”
During the intense heatwave in June, France experienced its hottest day on record based on nationwide averages on 24 June.
Additionally, reports indicate that France recorded at least 2,025 excess deaths related to the heat, while Belgium reported 1,222 and the Netherlands about 480.
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Source:bbc