Heatwave across Europe leaves 8 dead as temperatures hit records
Spanish officials said a wildfire in Catalonia had killed two people a day earlier, and authorities reported heatwave-linked deaths also in Extremadura and Cordoba. France's energy minister reported two deaths linked to the heat, with 300 others taken to hospital.
Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities, while in Germany temperatures were forecast to peak at 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas, making it the hottest day of the year.
Two men over the age of 60 died in separate incidents on the beach in Sardinia from the heat, ANSA news agency reported.
Weather forecaster Meteo France said red alerts remained for several areas of central France.
The risks were greatest for vulnerable members of the population, and Catherine Vautrin, France's health and families minister, said authorities should remain vigilant.
'In the coming days, we'll see the consequences, particularly on the most vulnerable, and I'm thinking particularly of the elderly,' she said. Turkey, which battled blazes on several fronts forcing the temporary evacuation of about 50,000 people earlier in the week, said its fires were largely contained.
Tuesday's fire in the Catalonia region of Spain destroyed several farms and affected an area stretching about 40 km (25 miles) before being contained, officials said.
Italy, France and Germany warned of the risk of heavy storms due to excessive warming in unstable atmospheres. Violent storms in the French Alps late on Monday triggered mudslides, disrupting rail traffic between Paris and Milan. Swiss utility Axpo shut down one reactor unit at the Beznau nuclear power plant and halved output at another on Tuesday because of the high temperature of river water.
Water is used for cooling and other purposes at nuclear power plants, and restrictions were expected to continue as temperatures are monitored.
The extreme heat would likely impact the region's economic growth, which was expected to slow by half a percentage point in 2025, Allianz Research said in a report, likening the financial toll of one day with temperatures exceeding 32 C to half a day of strikes.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Greek firefighters battle fresh blaze near Athens as Crete fire retreats
A volunteer firefighter uses a hose to cool a burnt house during a wildfire in the town of Koropi, near Athens, Greece, July 4, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article A wildfire on the island of Crete that forced the evacuation of 5,000 tourists and locals is "retreating", Greek firefighters told AFP on Friday, but a new blaze fanned by strong winds is spreading east of the capital, Athens. Hot dry weather in Greece -- not unusual for this time of year -- has heightened the risk of summer wildfires, and scientists say human-driven climate change is making them more frequent and more intense. The new wildfire broke out at Koropi, a town some 30 kilometres (20 miles) east of Athens, where residents received text messages from civil protection units urging them to evacuate the vicinity. That fire "has reached the courtyards of the houses", Koropi mayor Dimitris Kiousis told public television channel ERT. "The fire is ongoing. All residents (in threatened areas) have been evacuated," Thodoris Grivas, deputy mayor of Koropi, told ERT. "We do not yet know the extent of the disaster," Grivas added. A fire department official later told AFP that the situation appeared "improved". "There remain some scattered clusters," he added. In all, 120 firefighters were at the scene, with 30 engines, eight planes and the same number of helicopters, fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters. A coastguard vessel was patrolling nearby. Concerns remain for the coming days, particularly Saturday. when temperatures are due to rise, with the risk of fire still high. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) in some areas of the country, according to the EMY weather agency. Greece had until now been generally spared the heatwave roasting parts of Europe, particularly Spain, Portugal and France over recent days. Early on Friday afternoon, at least two water bombers and two helicopters were battling flames fanned by strong winds blowing across Attica, the Athens region, and the capital itself. The fire was destroying olive trees and brushwood, ERT images showed. Firefighters earlier managed to bring under control a separate fire which had on Thursday threatened the port of Rafina, around 20 kilometres northeast of Koropi, after some 300 local people were evacuated from their homes. Fire crews remained on alert, as the Rafina wildfire was not far from Athens International Airport and winds still posed a threat. The blaze destroyed a several houses and vehicles, local mayor Dimitris Markou told ERT. It also disrupted ferries to and from tourist islands in the western Aegean, including Mykonos. On the island of Crete, around 230 firefighters, 48 fire engines and six helicopters remained at the scene near the resort town of Ierapetra, even though the blaze was receding. Some 3,000 visitors had been forced to leave their hotels and guest houses on Wednesday evening and 2,000 local residents were also evacuated, authorities said. "The fire is retreating," Vathrakoyannis told AFP. "There are still fears of flare-ups but there is no longer a major front," he added. Scattered hot spots still remained and firefighters were dealing with several smoke-filled areas from which flare-ups had restarted, the fire department told the ANA press agency. Weakening winds in the hard-to-reach area had improved the situation, firefighters said, although a fire brigade spokesperson had warned overnight of some "difficult" days ahead. Last month, fires on Greece's fifth-biggest island Chios, in the northern Aegean, destroyed 4,700 hectares (11,600 acres) of land, according to the WWF and the National Observatory of Athens research institute. The most destructive year for wildfires was 2023, when nearly 175,000 hectares were lost and there were 20 deaths.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Heatwave across Europe leaves 8 dead as temperatures hit records
LONDON: Four people died in Spain, two in France and two in Italy as an early summer heatwave continued to grip much of Europe on Wednesday, triggering health alerts and forest fires and forcing the closure of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant. Spanish officials said a wildfire in Catalonia had killed two people a day earlier, and authorities reported heatwave-linked deaths also in Extremadura and Cordoba. France's energy minister reported two deaths linked to the heat, with 300 others taken to hospital. Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities, while in Germany temperatures were forecast to peak at 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas, making it the hottest day of the year. Two men over the age of 60 died in separate incidents on the beach in Sardinia from the heat, ANSA news agency reported. Weather forecaster Meteo France said red alerts remained for several areas of central France. The risks were greatest for vulnerable members of the population, and Catherine Vautrin, France's health and families minister, said authorities should remain vigilant. 'In the coming days, we'll see the consequences, particularly on the most vulnerable, and I'm thinking particularly of the elderly,' she said. Turkey, which battled blazes on several fronts forcing the temporary evacuation of about 50,000 people earlier in the week, said its fires were largely contained. Tuesday's fire in the Catalonia region of Spain destroyed several farms and affected an area stretching about 40 km (25 miles) before being contained, officials said. Italy, France and Germany warned of the risk of heavy storms due to excessive warming in unstable atmospheres. Violent storms in the French Alps late on Monday triggered mudslides, disrupting rail traffic between Paris and Milan. Swiss utility Axpo shut down one reactor unit at the Beznau nuclear power plant and halved output at another on Tuesday because of the high temperature of river water. Water is used for cooling and other purposes at nuclear power plants, and restrictions were expected to continue as temperatures are monitored. The extreme heat would likely impact the region's economic growth, which was expected to slow by half a percentage point in 2025, Allianz Research said in a report, likening the financial toll of one day with temperatures exceeding 32 C to half a day of strikes.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Two killed in Spain wildfire, two dead in France amid Europe heatwave
Lifeguards watch beachgoers as they bathe at the Beach of Catalans on a sunny and warm summer day in Marseille as an early summer heatwave hits France, July 1 , 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz Listen to article Wildfires have killed two people in Spain and two others have died in France because of a heatwave that has gripped Europe and forced the closure of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant. With scorching temperatures again on Wednesday, Spanish officials said a wildfire in Catalonia had killed two people a day earlier and France's energy minister reported two deaths with a direct link to the heatwave, with 300 others taken to hospital. Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities because of the extreme heat and Turkey has been tackling wildfires in what meteorologists say is an "exceptional" heatwave because it has come so early in Europe's summer. The blaze in Torrefeta in the Catalonia region of Spain destroyed several farms and affected an area stretching for about 40 km (25 miles), official said. It was largely contained though more wind and thunder storms were expected on Wednesday. "The fire was extremely violent and erratic due to storms and strong winds, generating a convection cloud that complicated extinguishing efforts," the fire service said. Read: Europe swelters as surprise early summer heatwave spreads Authorities in the Spanish city of Barcelona said on Tuesday they were also looking into whether the death of a street sweeper at the weekend was heat-related. Spain experienced its hottest June on record this year, and France had its hottest June since 2003, Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said. Weather forecaster Meteo France said red alerts remained for several areas of central France, but that heat was easing in the west, though intense thunderstorms with possible heavy bursts of rainfall were expected in many parts of the east. Temperature highs were expected around 39 Celsius (102.2°F), with up to 34 C in Paris, and 36 C to 38 C in Strasbourg, Lyon, Grenoble and Avignon. In Italy, Florence was expected to bear the brunt of the heat with a top temperature of 39 C during the day. Red alerts were issued in 18 cities, including Milan and Rome. There was a risk of violent and sudden rain and storms, particularly along the central Appennine mountain region and Sardinia and Sicily. Swiss utility Axpo shut down one reactor unit at the Beznau nuclear power plant and halved output at another on Tuesday because of the high temperature of river water. Water is used for cooling and other purposes at nuclear power plants, and restrictions were expected to continue as temperatures are monitored. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are a cause of climate change, with deforestation and industrial practices being other contributing factors. Last year was the planet's hottest on record.
