Latest news with #RubendelCampo
UPI
01-07-2025
- Climate
- UPI
Europe swelters under heatwave with record start to summer
People cool down in the fountains of Trocadero, across from the Eiffel Tower, during a heatwave in Paris. Heat warnings were in effect for the first part of the week across 16 regions in France, including Paris which was placed on the country's highest heat alert as temps hit 100 degrees. File Photo by Ian Langsdon/EPA-EFE June 30 (UPI) -- Europe is sweltering under an intense heatwave, as temperatures soar across Spain, Portugal, France and Italy for one of the hottest summer starts ever recorded. Spain is experiencing its hottest June on record. On Saturday, El Granado in Andalusia hit 114 degrees Fahrenheit. In Portugal, the heat registered close to 116 degrees in Mora. "Over the next few days, at least until Thursday, intense heat will continue in much of Spain," said Ruben del Campo, a spokesperson for the national meteorological service AEMET. In Turkey, wildfires burned for a second day, as strong winds fanned the flames near Izmir, and forced the evacuation of more than 50,000 people. Fires also broke out in Croatia and Greece amid extreme temperatures. Heat warnings were in effect in 16 cities in Italy, including Rome and Venice, and across 16 French regions, including Paris. Paris, which is seeing a record number of tourists, was placed on the country's highest "red" heat alert. Other regions remained under an "orange" alert. Nearly 200 schools throughout France are closed or partially closed. Government officials in Italy planned to ban open-air work during the hottest part of the day, as tourists sought refuge in fountains. The heat is also being felt in Germany, where temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees this week. The heatwave is being blamed for lowering water levels on the Rhine River, the country's major shipping route. And heat alerts were issued for England and Wales, where milder temperatures are more common. The United Nation's human rights chief blamed the heat on climate change and warned Monday that heatwaves will become more common if human causes are not reined in. "Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts and wildfires threaten our rights to life, to health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and much more," Volker Turk told the UN's Human Rights Council. Excessive temperatures throughout Europe are typically reserved for summer's hotter months of July and August, as UN Secretary General António Guterres called for "more ambitious Climate Action now," during a UN conference in Seville. "Extreme heat is no longer a rare event -- it has become the new normal," Guterres wrote in a post on X. "I'm experiencing it firsthand in Spain during the Financing for Development Conference," he added. "The planet is getting hotter and more dangerous -- no country is immune."
Kuwait Times
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Kuwait Times
Wildfires burn in Turkey, France as early heatwave hits
ISTANBUL/PARIS/SEVILLE: Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkey and France on Monday as an early heatwave hit the region. In Turkey, wildfires raged for a second day in the western province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said, forcing the evacuation of four villages and two town neighborhoods. Turkey's coastal regions have in recent years been ravaged by wildfires as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists say is a result of human-induced climate change. In France, where temperatures are expected to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday, wildfires broke out on Sunday in the southwestern Aude department, where temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), burning 400 hectares and forcing the evacuation of a campsite and an abbey, authorities said. The fires were under control but not yet extinguished, authorities said on Monday. Weather service Meteo France put a record 84 of the country's 101 departments on an orange heatwave alert from Monday until midweek. About 200 schools will be at least partially shut over the next three days because of the heat, the Education Ministry said. Authorities sent out heat alerts across the region. Spain is on course for its hottest June on record, the national meteorological service AEMET said, forecasting the peak of the heatwave on Monday. 'Over the next few days, at least until Thursday, intense heat will continue in much of Spain,' said Ruben del Campo, a spokesperson for the weather agency. In Seville, southern Spain, where global leaders were gathering for a United Nations conference, temperatures were expected to hit 42 C. 'It's awful,' municipal worker Bernabe Rufo said as he cleaned a fountain. 'We need to be looking for shade constantly.' Tourists were also seeking ways to cope with the heat. 'I guess water, water and shade, water and shade,' said 51-year-old visitor Nicole Shift, who got up early to enjoy Seville's historic sites before the heat got too intense. In Italy, the Health Ministry issued heatwave red alerts for 16 cities. Weather website said temperatures on Monday would go as high as 41 C in Florence, 38 C in Bologna and 37 C in Perugia. The Lombardy region, part of Italy's northern industrial heartland, is planning to ban open-air work in the hottest part of the day, heeding a request from trade unions, its president said. Even in the Netherlands, usually cooler than many other parts of Europe, the Royal Meteorological Institute warned temperatures could reach 35-40 C in parts of the country in the coming days, with high humidity. Amsterdam extended opening hours at homeless shelters. In Germany too, heat warnings were in place across large parts of western and southwestern regions on Monday, where temperatures climbed to up to 34 C. Authorities appealed to consumers to limit their use of water. Temperatures were expected to peak by the middle of the week. The heatwave has lowered water levels on the Rhine River, hampering shipping and raising freight costs for cargo owners, commodity traders said. German and French baseload power prices for Tuesday surged as the heatwave led to increased demand for cooling. Heat can affect health in various ways, and experts are most concerned about older people and babies, as well as outdoor labourers and people struggling economically. Globally, extreme heat kills up to 480,000 people annually, surpassing the combined toll from floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, and poses growing risks to infrastructure, the economy and healthcare systems, Swiss Re said earlier this month. Global surface temperatures last month averaged 1.4 C higher than in the pre-industrial period, when humans began burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said earlier this month. Scientists say the main cause of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Last year was the planet's hottest on record. — Reuters
Observer
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Observer
Wildfires rage in Turkiye, France as early heatwave hits
ISTANBUL/PARIS/SEVILLE: Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkey and France on Monday as an early heatwave hit the region. In Turkey, wildfires raged for a second day in the western province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said, forcing the evacuation of four villages and two town neighbourhoods. Turkey's coastal regions have in recent years been ravaged by wildfires as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists say is a result of human-induced climate change. In France, where temperatures are expected to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday, wildfires broke out on Sunday in the southwestern Aude department, where temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius, burning 400 hectares and forcing the evacuation of a campsite and an abbey, authorities said. The fires were under control but not yet extinguished, authorities said on Monday. Weather service Meteo France put a record 84 of the country's 101 departments on an orange heatwave alert from Monday until midweek. About 200 schools will be at least partially shut over the next three days because of the heat, the Education Ministry said. Authorities sent out heat alerts across the region. Spain is on course for its hottest June on record, the national meteorological service AEMET said, forecasting the peak of the heatwave on Monday. "Over the next few days, at least until Thursday, intense heat will continue in much of Spain," said Ruben del Campo, a spokesperson for the weather agency. In Seville, southern Spain, where global leaders were gathering for a United Nations conference, temperatures were expected to hit 42 C. "It's awful," municipal worker Bernabe Rufo said as he cleaned a fountain. "We need to be looking for shade constantly." Tourists were also seeking ways to cope with the heat. "I guess water, water and shade, water and shade," said 51-year-old visitor Nicole Shift, who got up early to enjoy Seville's historic sites before the heat got too intense. In Italy, the Health Ministry issued heatwave red alerts for 16 cities. Weather website said temperatures on Monday would go as high as 41 C in Florence, 38 C in Bologna and 37 C in Perugia. The Lombardy region, part of Italy's northern industrial heartland, is planning to ban open-air work in the hottest part of the day, heeding a request from trade unions, its president said. Even in the Netherlands, usually cooler than many other parts of Europe, the Royal Meteorological Institute warned temperatures could reach 35-40 C in parts of the country in the coming days, with high humidity. — AFP
MTV Lebanon
30-06-2025
- Climate
- MTV Lebanon
Wildfires Burn in Turkey and France as Early Heatwave Hits
Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkey and France on Monday as an early heatwave hit the region. In Turkey, wildfires raged for a second day in the western province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said, forcing the evacuation of four villages and two town neighbourhoods. Turkey's coastal regions have in recent years been ravaged by wildfires as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists say is a result of human-induced climate change. In France, where temperatures are expected to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday, wildfires broke out on Sunday in the southwestern Aude department, where temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), burning 400 hectares and forcing the evacuation of a campsite and an abbey, authorities said. The fires were under control but not yet extinguished, authorities said on Monday. Weather service Meteo France put a record 84 of the country's 101 departments on an orange heatwave alert from Monday until midweek. About 200 schools will be at least partially shut over the next three days because of the heat, the Education Ministry said. Authorities sent out heat alerts across the region. Spain is on course for its hottest June on record, the national meteorological service AEMET said, forecasting the peak of the heatwave on Monday. "Over the next few days, at least until Thursday, intense heat will continue in much of Spain," said Ruben del Campo, a spokesperson for the weather agency. In Seville, southern Spain, where global leaders were gathering for a United Nations conference, temperatures were expected to hit 42 C. "It's awful," municipal worker Bernabe Rufo said as he cleaned a fountain. "We need to be looking for shade constantly." Tourists were also seeking ways to cope with the heat. "I guess water, water and shade, water and shade," said 51-year-old visitor Nicole Shift, who got up early to enjoy Seville's historic sites before the heat got too intense. In Italy, the Health Ministry issued heatwave red alerts for 16 cities. Weather website said temperatures on Monday would go as high as 41 C in Florence, 38 C in Bologna and 37 C in Perugia. The Lombardy region, part of Italy's northern industrial heartland, is planning to ban open-air work in the hottest part of the day, heeding a request from trade unions, its president said. Even in the Netherlands, usually cooler than many other parts of Europe, the Royal Meteorological Institute warned temperatures could reach 35-40 C in parts of the country in the coming days, with high humidity. Amsterdam extended opening hours at homeless shelters. In Germany too, heat warnings were in place across large parts of western and southwestern regions on Monday, where temperatures climbed to up to 34 C. Authorities appealed to consumers to limit their use of water. Temperatures were expected to peak by the middle of the week. The heatwave has lowered water levels on the Rhine River, hampering shipping and raising freight costs for cargo owners, commodity traders said. German and French baseload power prices for Tuesday surged as the heatwave led to increased demand for cooling. Heat can affect health in various ways, and experts are most concerned about older people and babies, as well as outdoor labourers and people struggling economically. Globally, extreme heat kills up to 480,000 people annually, surpassing the combined toll from floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, and poses growing risks to infrastructure, the economy and healthcare systems, Swiss Re said earlier this month. Global surface temperatures last month averaged 1.4 C higher than in the pre-industrial period, when humans began burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said earlier this month. Scientists say the main cause of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Last year was the planet's hottest on record.
NDTV
02-06-2025
- Climate
- NDTV
Spain Records Highest May Temperature On Record
Madrid: Mainland Spain experienced its hottest May day ever on Friday, with the average temperature surpassing 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit), national weather agency AEMET said on Monday. The average temperature across the country hit 24.08 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record for the month of 23.73 degrees set on May 21, 2022, according to provisional data from the agency. "This was the hottest day for a month of May across mainland Spain since the beginning of the data series in 1950," AEMET wrote on social media. The average temperature on Saturday reached 23.91 degrees, making it the second-hottest May day on record. A mass of hot air moving north from Africa pushed temperatures in some areas of Spain more than 10 degrees above normal for the time of the year. Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in parts of southern region of Andalusia. While unusual, this is not the first time Spain has experienced exceptionally high May temperatures. Similar events occurred in 2015 and 2022, AEMET said. "This reflects a scenario where summer-like conditions are arriving earlier and more frequently, even before spring has ended," said AEMET spokesperson Ruben del Campo. Scientists say climate change driven by human activity is increasing the length, frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves. The last three years have been the hottest on record in Spain, which is emerging from a years-long drought.
