Wildfire season arrives early and intense around the Mediterranean
In Catalonia, entire neighborhoods of the town of Tortosa (population 35,000) and neighboring villages were placed under lockdown for three days to allow residents to protect their homes from within, as it was too dangerous to evacuate them due to the fire being fanned by strong winds. Between the fire in Tarragona and another that broke out days before in the agricultural region of Torrefeta i Florejacs, in the center of the neighboring Lérida province, nearly 40,000 people were ordered to stay indoors.
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France 24
14 hours ago
- France 24
Water shortages spell trouble on Turkey's tourist coast
"Our parents used to draw water from a depth of eight to nine metres, but now we have to go down to 170 metres (560 feet)," said Alyanak, the 39-year-old village chief in Germiyan. To cope, authorities in nearby Cesme, a popular seaside resort in Izmir province on Turkey's western coast, are restricting drinking water access to 10 hours a day. The city of Izmir itself, Turkey's third largest, will cut that access to just six hours starting Wednesday. Desolate images from the large nearby dam that supplies Cesme, widely broadcast on television, illustrated the risks for the region: its water level has plunged to three percent of capacity, leaving behind a barren landscape. For Alyanak and many others, the culprit is clear. "Hotels are the main problem: The water in the pools evaporates, towels are washed daily and people take three to five showers a day, as soon as they go swimming or come back from outside," Alyanak fumed. "It's a waste". Climatologists say the Mediterranean basin -- which concentrates 30 percent of world tourism -- will see a sharp decline in rainfall over the coming decades, raising fears of more frequent and severe droughts as a result of global warming. Seawater pools? The almost complete absence of rainfall since autumn is largely responsible for the current crisis, with some scientists calculating that 88 percent of Turkey's territory is at risk of desertification. Last week, mosque loudspeakers across Turkey issued prayers for rain. But experts also highlight the impact of tens of thousands of visitors, which is putting pressure on tourism hotspots throughout the Mediterranean. Selma Akdogan of the Izmir Chamber of Environmental Engineers said tourists consumed "two to three times" more water than locals. This at a time when "water levels are falling not only in summer but also in winter", she said, noting that "Rainfall is less regular but more intense, making it more difficult for the soil to absorb rainwater." She wants local authorities to have hotels fill their swimming pools with seawater, for example, and for locals to give up lawns and grass in favour of less water-intensive yards. 'A real problem' At the helm of a luxury 253-room establishment overlooking the turquoise waters of the Aegean sea, Orhan Belge has little patience for the media focus on the issue. "Big four- or five-star hotels like ours have water tanks of 200-250 tonnes. We have water 24 hours a day," said Belge, who is also president of the city's hoteliers' union. For him, the solution to water shortages lies mainly in desalination, a costly and energy-intensive process already used by some hotels in the region. The manager of a small hotel in the city, who asked to remain anonymous, acknowledged that "water shortages are a real problem," but said he was primarily worried that use restrictions would prompt tourists to look elsewhere. "Last summer, we were fully booked during the same period. And we were still full two weeks ago," he said. "Now, the hotel is 80 percent empty and we have no reservations for August." Sabiha Yurtsever, an 80-year-old retiree who has spent every summer in Cesme for the past 25 years, said she could not remember a summer so dry. She blamed both the government and hoteliers for making the region unliveable. "When forests burn, they build hotels instead of replanting," said Yurtsever, who spends the rest of the year in Izmir. © 2025 AFP
Local France
a day ago
- Local France
Wildfire alerts and 40C temperatures return to France this week
After a relatively cool and slightly rainy end to July, the hot temperatures are forecast to return to France as August begins, with temperatures predicted to rise throughout the week. Météo France says that on average, the country will be 2C above seasonal norms for August, with temperatures of 25C in Cherbourg, 30C in Paris and up to 34C in Gap, 35C in Toulouse and 36C in Alès and Bordeaux on Monday. Advertisement Tuesday is likely to be cloudy and rainy in places, although still warm, and then temperatures will rise from Wednesday with highs of 40C predicted by the end of the week in southern France. Temperatures of 39C in Bordeaux and Toulouse, 37C in Tarbes and 38C in Lyon are predicted for Thursday and Friday, while Météo France says "the 40C bar will doubtless be passed between now and Sunday." The département of Aude, which includes Carcassonne, is experiencing severe drought and has been placed on red alert for the risk of wildfires from Tuesday. The rest of the Mediterranean coast remains on orange alert for fire risk. Tuesday's wildfire alerts in France. Map: Meteo France READ ALSO : In numbers: Are summers in France really getting hotter?✎
Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
Heatwave to scorch Spain from Sunday with highs of 45°C
Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has confirmed that a powerful atmospheric ridge will settle over the Iberian Peninsula starting Sunday 3 August, triggering a steady and intense rise in temperatures likely to persist through to the following Wednesday. Sunday marks a turning point in this heatwave. The arrival of a strong ridge in the mid-levels of the atmosphere will promote atmospheric stability and descending air — conditions that significantly enhance surface heating. As a result, temperatures will climb sharply, particularly across the southwestern and central regions of the peninsula. The most extreme heat is expected on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 August, with Tuesday likely to be the peak of this heat episode. Forecasts indicate that temperatures could reach extremes of up to 45°C in parts of Andalusia and Extremadura, while in regions such as Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid and parts of Murcia are expected to see maximum temperatures between 40°C and 42°C. Temperatures will soar above 40°C across much of Andalusia, Extremadura, southern Galicia, and Castile-La Mancha, reaching up to 10°C above the normal for this time of year. The Guadiana and Guadalquivir valleys will be especially impacted, with a very high likelihood of temperatures surpassing 42°C. Night-time impact and persistence of heat: Tropical nights The heat will not be limited to daytime hours. Minimum temperatures will also experience a notable rise, with the return of tropical nights (above 20°C) in most of the peninsular and even equatorial nights (above 25°C) on the Mediterranean coasts and central and southern areas. In large areas of central and southern Spain, nighttime temperatures are unlikely to drop below 23°C or even 25°C, especially on Monday and Tuesday. This 24-hour heat will intensify the feeling of heat stress and make it difficult to rest at night, especially in metropolitan areas due to the effect of urban heat islands. There could be some respite next Tuesday in the north of the peninsula, but uncertainty about the total duration of the episode is high. Forecasts suggest that the extreme heat could persist until Wednesday, with the possibility of it continuing through the weekend and even into the beginning of the following week, especially in the south.
