Latest news with #Tarragona
Emirates 24/7
a day ago
- Sport
- Emirates 24/7
UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Isaac del Toro claims fifth win
Picking up exactly where he left off at the recent Tour of Austria, Isaac del Toro produced a brilliant performance at the Clàssica Terres de l'Ebre to seal his fifth victory in just two weeks. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider went on the attack alone and ensured he would not be caught before the finish, becoming only the second-ever winner of this young Spanish one-day semi-Classic. Del Toro has now moved to 10 career victories, with his exploits at the Tour of Austria yielding four wins alone. The Mexican was the breakout star of this year's Giro d'Italia, and showed every bit of his class to win in Spain on Monday afternoon. Over a rolling parcours in Tarragona, Del Toro watched his teammates set a searing pace under the midday sun, with the peloton splintering under both the heat and pressure. One by one, his competitors dropped from the pack, and Del Toro began to sense an opportunity to grab the race by the scruff of its neck. That moment came on the Alt de Paüls. With the group whittled down to only the strongest riders, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider stomped on the pedals and powered his way off the front of the race. As the gradient rose, so too did the pressure, and for a short while, Natnael Tesfatsion of Movistar proved the only man able to follow Del Toro's wheel. In just two weeks, UAE Team Emirates-XRG's breakout star of the season has doubled his career victory tally, and if Monday's display is anything to go by, Del Toro is set for another exciting block of racing over the coming weeks. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Europe wildfires map: Where summer fires have struck from France and Spain to Greece
Thousands have been forced to evacuate and dozens have been injured in wildfires across Europe that have been fanned by extreme heatwaves across the continent. Spanish authorities ordered more than 18,000 residents in the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors on Tuesday, with several dozen evacuated, as a raging wildfire consumed nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation. The blaze broke out early on Monday in a remote area near the village of Pauls, and firefighting efforts have been severely hampered by strong winds and rugged terrain. Two people died in a separate wildfire on 1 July in the Catalonia region, where Tarragona is located. In the south of France, a wildfire that reached the outskirts of Marseille injured 110 people and locals have been warned that while the fire has been contained for now, it remains a concern. "It is not finished. Weather conditions are worrying for us," head of the area council Martine Vassal told broadcaster BFM. The fire had burned through 700 hectares by late Tuesday and had destroyed at least 10 homes. Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze, which authorities believe was caused by a car that caught fire on the side of a highway. A separate blaze broke out near the city of Narbonne, marking France's first major fire of the summer according to government spokesperson Sophie Primas. Ms Primas added in an interview with RTL that the wildfire season had started earlier this year. In Greece, at least 5,000 tourists were forced to evacuate parts of Crete last week as a massive wildfire scorched forests and olive groves on the Greek island. Around 230 firefighters, along with 46 engines and helicopters, rushed to tackle the blaze on Thursday, which broke out the day before in the forested hills near Lerapetra on the island's southern coast. Winds of up to 50mph spread the blaze south, as reinforcements flew in from Athens to help put out the fire. The inferno destroyed homes in places including Agia Fotia, while at least four people were rushed to hospital after inhaling smoke, according to the BBC. The previous week, a large fire south of Athens prompted authorities to evacuate five communities as temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius and the blaze, fanned by strong winds, threatened homes. The ongoing heatwave forced Greek officials to in Athens to protect visitors and workers.
Al Arabiya
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Spain lifts lockdown for thousands as forest fire eases
Spanish authorities lifted lockdown measures for thousands of villagers in the northeastern Catalonia region on Wednesday as firefighters began taming a forest fire raging for a third day. 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. A stay-at-home order for around 18,000 people decreed on Tuesday was lifted except for the municipality of Pauls, where residents were allowed to go outside but not leave the locality, the Catalan civil protection authority announced on X. Catalonia's fire service said it had 'stabilised' the blaze but continued to work with ground units, helicopters and aeroplanes on several hotspots, including cliffs and areas that are hard to access. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that fuels forest fires. 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. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, around 500 fires destroyed 300,000 hectares in Spain in 2022, a record for the continent. Around 21,000 hectares have burned so far this year.
Al Arabiya
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Greece Shuts the Acropolis Due to High Temperatures
Authorities in Athens closed the Acropolis to visitors for several hours Tuesday due to high temperatures as work restrictions remained in effect in other parts of Greece. The closure lasted from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (1000 GMT to 1400 GMT), the Culture Ministry archaeological service said. Mandatory work breaks were imposed in several other regions – mostly on islands and parts of central Greece – where temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The measures started Monday for outdoor workers. Workplaces that don't comply face a 2,000 euro fine per worker. Authorities said the risk of wildfires – already at very high across the eastern mainland – is expected to increase during the week. Elsewhere in Europe, a wildfire in northeastern Spain burned roughly 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) on Tuesday, with authorities ordering some 18,000 people in Tarragona province to remain indoors. Other parts of Spain were on high alert for wildfires after experiencing record high temperatures in June.
France 24
08-07-2025
- Climate
- France 24
Thousands told to stay home as Spain forest fire rages
More than 450 firefighters backed by helicopters and planes were deployed across a hilly 30-kilometre (19-mile) front in the northeastern province of Tarragona, the Catalonia region's fire service said. The blaze had devoured an estimated 3,137 hectares (7,751 acres), with the protected Els Ports natural park representing about one-third of the total, according to Catalan rangers. An AFP journalist at the scene saw a helicopter swoop over burning vegetation and a house to drop water as grey smoke billowed from the green hills. The blaze had gutted an isolated hillside home, which stood surrounded by scorched trees, its roof collapsed. Firefighters said they were "cautiously optimistic" as they worked to stabilise the blaze and prevent it spreading further into the park. "The changing wind patterns in the area will determine the fire's progression," the service added in a statement. The emergency response could "begin a stabilisation phase in the final hours of the day", said the leader of Catalonia's regional authority, Salvador Illa. Catalonia's civil protection authority urged residents to shut their doors and windows and stay home, saying around 18,000 people were affected. Overnight gusts of up to 90 kilometres (56 miles) per hour had thwarted efforts to extinguish the fire, prompting reinforcements from the Spanish army's emergencies unit. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that fuels forest fires. Spain has in recent days sweltered through a heatwave that parched the land and heightened the risk of forest fires. National weather agency AEMET said last month was Spain's hottest June on record and that the frequency of extreme heat had tripled in the past 10 years. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, around 500 fires destroyed 300,000 hectares in Spain in 2022, a record for the continent. Around 21,000 hectares have burned so far this year.
