Heat peaks in Spain and thousands of hectares burn in Portugal: the Iberian Peninsula, on the front line of Europe’s global warming, is on alert on Wednesday and could break temperature records.
This heat wave, the third of the summer, is expected to reach its peak on Wednesday in Spain, with temperatures that could reach 44 degrees Celsius in some places, according to the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet). She announced that this heat wave will definitely end on Friday and not Thursday as originally planned.
Aemet predicts that “the average temperature reached in Spain on Wednesday is likely to be a record for this date since 1950. It is likely to be one of the five hottest August days in the last 73 years.”
There are 11 regions on red alert, synonymous with high risk: three in Andalusia (south), two in the Madrid region, two in Castilla-La Mancha (central), three in the Basque Country (north) and one in Castilla et al. Lyon (north).
Almost all of the country, except for its coasts, is on alert, but at lower levels.
Thursday, the epicenter of the heatwave will move to the east coast, with only four regions on red alert, all located south of Valencia, in the region of the same name, where temperatures can reach 43 degrees Celsius. On Friday, Andalusia will suffer the most, but without a maximum alert.
Experts consider the multiplication of these heat waves, as well as their increase in duration and intensity, to be a consequence of climate change.
– the damage –
The Iberian Peninsula has been hit hard by global warming, heat waves and drought caused or exacerbated by fires.
In less than a week, some 15,000 hectares have burned in the two countries, mainly in Portugal, where the fires have left a desolate landscape.
Incendie of the region d’Odemira (Sud) a été declared “maîtrisé” mercredi midi, apres avoir ravage 8.400 hectares in cinq days selon un new blan, a indication the commandant of the civil protection of Vitor Vaz Pinto lors d’une conference release.
However, 1,000 firefighters, backed by 359 vehicles and 15 aircraft, remain massed due to “possible daytime reactivations”.
Almost 1,500 people have been evacuated and 42 people have been treated by emergency services. On Wednesday morning, firefighters expected an improvement due to better weather conditions.
The forecast is based on an increase in air humidity and a decrease in temperatures, especially on the coast, where it should fall below 30 degrees Celsius.
However, the risk of fire remains high, as temperatures are expected to range between 32 and 38 degrees Celsius in the interior of the country.
– Threatened century-old oaks –
In Spain, almost the entire country is on high alert for the danger of a fire.
In addition, dozens of Spanish firefighters are still fighting the flames in Extremadura (southwest), a region bordering Portugal, with the help of more than a dozen aircraft.
The regional government indicated that the development of the fire, which broke out on Monday in the municipality of Valencia de Alcantara, was “favorable” on Wednesday morning.
“We’ve taken clients to a hotel in Alcantara, but here we’re anxious and worried, because we have a huge forest with century-old oaks and it makes us very sad,” said Joaquín Diguez, the owner of a nearby country house.
A preliminary assessment reported that 350 hectares had been damaged, making it the third largest fire in recent days in Spain, after a forest fire that burned 573 hectares in Portbou, in Catalonia (northeast), and another fire affecting 450 near Bonares, in Andalusia (south). .
According to interim reports, nearly 100,000 hectares of smoke were already emitted in 2023 in Spain and Portugal, against more than 400,000 in total in 2022.
