Marseille wildfire live: Flames 'continue to spread' - after warning blaze was 'at gates' of French city
Why you can trust Sky News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Ten handy gadgets for £15 or less to stay cool in hot weather this weekend
BOILING Brits are rushing to grab these gadgets for £15 or less ahead of a sweltering weekend. With the mercury set to rise up to a glorious 30C in parts of the UK this weekend, these items could help keep the hot flushes at bay. 11 Here are 10 devices we recommend and where you can get them. Although it's important to shop around as you may find the same, or similar, products online for less. You can use websites like Price Spy, Price Runner and Trolley to scan the internet and compare prices on thousands of products. Cooling blanket 11 While many of us love basking in sunshine during the day, laying on a sweat-drenched sheet at night isn't quite as enjoyable. It can be difficult to switch off and catch some z's if we can't bring the temperature down in our bedroom. But, with this handy blanket, it doesn't matter if you haven't got a fan or air con. The cooling technology will help regulate your body temperature, while the thin and light-weight material makes it breathable. This makes it even more effective than sleeping with no blanket at all. They cost just £8.99 on Amazon and come in a wide variety of colours. Hat ice packs Everyone's heard of regular ice packs, but some Brits may be surprised to learn there are plenty of special designs out there. There's even quite a few with unique shapes to sit conveniently into hats. These are sure to keep your head cool and prevent any irritating forehead sweating. At just £3.65, you can't really argue with that. Cool patches 11 In a similar vein to the ice packs for hats, cool patches are a fantastic portable hack. They will only set you back a tenner and are especially great for kids running about in the heat. The quick cooling technology lasts for up to eight hours, and can also be used for fevers too which makes them handy all year round. Portable waist band fan Hand-held fans are nothing new, but this waist band tech is a game changer. By clipping the fan onto your shorts or trousers, the refreshing air blasts up under your top. This device has already proved super popular with runners and traddies who need something hands-free. At just under £14, the tech is re-chargeable, boasts three speeds, and is also wearable around your neck. It even offers a 4 in 1 USB power bank too. Cooling slippers These icy slippers are sure to relieve soreness of hot, tired and swollen feet. Imagine how amazing they would feel on your tootsies after a long day in the heat. They can soothe the effect of uncomfortable, rubbing or tight footwear you may have been stuck in earlier. Over 10,000 customers have hailed the £14.99 product - why not give them a try! Cooling mat A number of retailers sell cooling mats for pets but you can get them for humans as well. Amazon is selling two packs of cooling pillow pads for £7.49 on its website and four packs for £14.99 plus a delivery fee from £4.99. The pads come with two reusable cooling gel pads that help keep your head cool overnight. You'll need to place them in the fridge for a few hours before use though. Handheld fan Lidl is launching a range of £7.99 Silvercrest handheld fans in stores, but not until Sunday (June 15). Shoppers can choose from four colours including yellow, black, white and green. The fans come with three speed settings and battery that can be recharged via USB. They also come with a three-year warranty. You won't be able to get the fans via home delivery and only in stores. You can find your nearest branch via Neck cooler fan John Lewis is selling a £15 neck cooler fan that sits on your shoulders and keeps your top half cool in the heat. It comes fully assembled with rechargeable batteries included. Out of 15 reviews on the John Lewis website, 13 are five star as well. Click and collect will cost you £2.95 though while home delivery cost from £4.50. Reusable ice cubes Iceland is selling 30packs of reusable ice cubes for just £2 on its website. The cubes come with liquid inside and can be bunged in the freezer and used over and over again. If you are thinking of getting some from Iceland, you'll need a basket worth £25 or more to qualify for delivery. Ice towel Amazon is selling four packs of Sukeen cooling towels, ideal for bringing your temperature down after exercise or while on the beach. The pack costs £13.99 down from £16.99 but of course you'll be charged extra for delivery. Of the more than 33,000 Amazon reviews, 70% are five star. How to bag a bargain SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain… Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with. Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks. Sales are when you can pick up a real steal. Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on. Sign up to mailing lists and you'll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use and are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer. Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping. Bargain hunters can also use B&M's scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out. And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you'll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Report: Europe's double heat-dome killed 2,300 in two weeks
As many as 2,300 people died of heat-related causes across 12 European cities during the recent two-week heatwave, bleak new research has found. British scientists studying the 10 days to July 2, and looking at cities including London , Madrid, Barcelona and Milan, found climate change had increased temperatures by as much as 4 degrees Celsius, linked to 1,500 of the deaths. Last month was the planet's third-hottest June on record, behind 2024 and 2023, while Western Europe saw its warmest June since records began, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said today. Maximum feels-like temperatures north of Lisbon hit 48C, about 7C above average and associated with 'extreme heat stress', it said. Portugal alone has recorded 284 deaths during the ongoing heatwave, with highs of 40C expected to persist until the middle of the week. The Foreign Office this week issued a warning to Brits that the country faces heightened risk of wildfires. More than 100 people were injured and hundreds more evacuated on Tuesday as wildfires broke out on the outskirts of Marseille. Around 800 firefighters were called in, working through the night to try to control the blaze as strong winds helped it spread at a rate of 0.75 miles every minute at its peak. Marseille's mayor Benoît Payan said emergency services were 'waging guerilla warfare,' against the fire, 'hoses in hand', in a desperate bid to stop the spread. In neighbouring Spain, more than 18,000 people in Tarragona were ordered to stay indoors on Tuesday as a wildfire raged out of control, destroying more than 3,300 hectares of vegetation before the lockdown was lifted today. Spain recently sweltered through a heatwave that parched the land, while national weather agency AEMET said last month that it was the country's hottest June on record. Around 21,000 hectares of land have burned so far this year. Two people died in a wildfire on July 1 in the region of Catalonia, where Tarragona is located. Heatwaves are particularly dangerous for the elderly, the sick, young children, outdoor workers, and anyone exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods without relief. Scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that in the 10 days to July 2, there may have been some 2,300 heat-related deaths in the cities studied. No official death toll is yet available, and the study has not been peer reviewed. Of the 2,300 people estimated to have died during this period, 1,500 deaths were linked to climate change, which made the heatwave more severe. The researchers used established epidemiological models and historical mortality data to estimate the death toll, which reflects deaths where heat was the underlying reason for mortality, including if exposure exacerbated pre-existing health conditions. 'An increase in heatwave temperature of just two or four degrees can mean the difference between life and death for thousands of people,' said Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, a lecturer at Imperial College London. Officials told residents they were no longer in lockdown, though some who were evacuated were likely to find their homes in ashes. Ten houses were completely destroyed and dozens damaged, they said, though no fatalities were reported. Likewise in Spain, Wednesday saw the lifting of a lockdown for thousands of villagers in northeastern Catalonia. Firefighters were still trying to bring the fire under control after three days. Catalonia's fire service said it had 'stabilised' the blaze but continued to work with ground units, helicopters and airplanes on several hotspots, including cliffs and areas that are hard to access. The blaze that started on Monday has burned more than 3,300 hectares (8,154 acres) in Tarragona province, with the protected Els Ports natural park making up around one-third of the affected area, Catalan countryside rangers said. In the Balkans, Greece was bracing for an extreme wildfire threat on Wednesday. The Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection said Attica (excluding Kythira), Central Greece (parts of Boeotia and Phthiotis), the Peloponnese (Corinth) and Thessaly (Magnesia region, excluding the Sporades Islands) were at the highest level of risk. Bulgaria also saw two wildfires break out on Tuesday as temperatures reached a record 42C. The city of Veliko Tarnovo and the town of Ihtiman, both in land, saw huge fires break out, prompting large-scale responses from emergency services. And North Macedonia declared a 30-day State of Crisis on Wednesday due to the rise in reports of wildfires. The move will ready army, police, fire services and other relevant agencies to rapidly mobilise in case of future fires. Storms brought heavy rain to Croatia. A tree caught on fire near Split Airport when struck by lightning this week. Poland also readied troops for bad weather. According to Expressen, 7,000 troops have been put on alert to assist in evacuation efforts as the country braces for torrential rains over the next two days. Authorities say the weather could cause flooding, power outages and devastation. Temperatures across the UK, meanwhile, are set to rise 'day by day' through the rest of the week with predicted highs 'in the low 30s', the Met Office said.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Make your car's air con blow even colder with Aldi's £1.35 kitchen staple – as temps to hit 31C this week
DRIVERS are being urged to use a cheap hack to cool down their cars as scorching temperatures of 31C are set to arrive later this week. Motors with little or no air conditioning can benefit the most from the £1.35 Aldi kitchen essential. Motorists face an uncomfortable few days as Britain is set to bake in the third heatwave so far this summer. But a tea towel from supermarket giants Aldi - costing less than a cup of coffee - could be the answer to their problems. It is cheap to buy and takes a matter of minutes to prepare. For those who are struggling to cope with the stifling temperatures, start by wetting the tea towel until it is damp and sodden. The wet rag should then stored in the freezer for a decent amount of time - perhaps overnight - until it is frozen solid. As soon as you're looking to head out in your car, grab the frozen tea towel and place it in front of your car's air vent. This will prevent the warm, stale air that has been sitting in the vehicle from being blown around the car. Drivers can then benefit from a cool stream of air from the cloth instead, which will be a game changer during these hot summer days. Andrew Smart, who tested the hack out, explained how he felt the cold air on his face "almost instantly". Writing for The Herald, he said: "After setting off, I noticed the cold air blowing on my face almost instantly, and the car began to cool down over the next five minutes. "However, a massive drawback was that the cold rag would dry up in no time, meaning it would lose its effectiveness very quickly. "But, by the time this happened, the car was already much cooler, and the air being blown at me from the vents was much more refreshing." Dr explains why cold showers or baths are a bad idea to cool you down While the tea towel may dry up after a period of being blown by the fan, it is a great method of immediately cooling down a car. It could come in incredibly handy over the coming days, as temperatures of up to 31C have been predicted. The weather turnaround comes after a miserable weekend of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Marco Petagna, senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said that Brits are set to bask in increasingly hot temperatures as we head into next week. He said: 'I think Wednesday is probably going to be the day when we could start to reach the thresholds of 25 to 28 degrees, depending on where you are. 'But temperatures are going to continue to climb as we go toward the end of the week and certainly by Friday and Saturday we could see 30 degrees, perhaps just nudging into the low 30s. 'At the weekend, we could just start to see humidity increasing a little bit as well and nighttime temperatures look like they are going to be, so it will be starting to become more uncomfortable by night.' Experts have also pointed to a £30 Amazon product that can help transform your vehicle's air conditioning system. Amazon's Clima Set comes with two air condition recharge gas cylinders and is compatible with all cars that use R-134a refrigerant. The product details describes the set as "nature conscious and vehicle safe". Enthusiastic motorist, Scott Kilmar said: "This car hack will save you thousands in AC repairs." In his step by step guide on how to use the product, he explained that "it is not that hard to do." It comes as Yorkshire Water slapped a hosepipe ban on five million people, meaning washing motors with a hose will be off-limits from Friday. Drivers in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire will have to find other ways to wash their car or risk being slapped with fines of up to £3,000 for breaking the rules. 2
