Europe burns as heatwave sparks climate emergency

A fierce heatwave in western ­Europe has left several people dead as scorching record temperatures fuel destructive bushfires.

Firefighters battle a blaze in the northern Spanish province of Zamora. Picture: AFP

A fierce heatwave in western ­Europe has left several people dead as scorching record temperatures fuel destructive bushfires on a continent coming to grips with drought conditions.

Exhausted firefighters are struggling in the crushing heat as blazes across France, Portugal, Spain and Greece destroy tens of thousands of hectares of land.

The peak 38.1C in eastern ­England on Monday was Britain’s third-hottest day on record, with expectations that the record 38.7C could be smashed by Tuesday ­afternoon (Wednesday AEST).

Experts have blamed climate change and predict more frequent extreme weather to come as a host of towns and cities across France recorded their highest temperatures on record.

More than 1100 people are thought to have died in heatwave-related deaths.

The mercury hit 39.3C in Brest on the Atlantic coast of Brittany, in the far northwest of the country, smashing a 20-year record of 35.1C. Parts of the Channel coast hit 39.5C, smashing the record of 38.1C, and the western city of ­Nantes recorded 42C.

Firefighters in the country’s southwest were battling to contain two massive fires that have caused widespread destruction.

For nearly a week, armies of firefighters and a fleet of waterbombing aircraft have battled blazes that have mobilised much of France’s firefighting capacity.

In Britain, the government, ­already on the ropes after a series of scandals that forced Prime Minister Boris Johnson to quit, has been accused of taking the situation too lightly.

Mr Johnson was criticised for not attending an emergency meeting on the crisis on Sunday, instead hosting a farewell party at his state-funded country retreat.

And medics condemned comments by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who appeared to minimise the threat from the ­extreme heat when he told Britons to “enjoy the sunshine”.

European Commission researchers meanwhile said nearly half (46 per cent) of EU territory was exposed to warning-level drought. Eleven per cent was ­already at an alert level and crops were suffering from lack of water.

Temperatures in Ireland hit 33C in Dublin – the highest since 1887 – while in The Netherlands, temperatures reached 35.4C, and were expected to go higher on Tuesday. Neighbouring Belgium also ­expected 40C and over.

An area of 9km long and 8km wide was still ablaze near France’s Dune de Pilat, Europe’s highest sand dune, turning picturesque landscapes, popular campsites and pristine beaches into a scorching mess. A least 8000 people were evacuated from near the dune on Monday as a precaution, as changing winds blew thick smoke into residential areas.

The blaze was literally “blowing things up”, such was its ferocity, said Marc Vermeulen, head of the local fire service. “Pine trunks of 40 years are bursting,” he said.

About 32,000 tourists and residents have been forced to decamp in France, many to emergency shelters. Two fires around the southwest city of Bordeaux have ­destroyed nearly 17,000ha of land.

In Spain, fire burning in the northwestern province of Zamora claimed the life of a 69-year-old shepherd, regional authorities said. A fireman died in the same area on Sunday. An office worker in his 50s was reported to have died from heatstroke in Madrid.

Authorities have reported about 20 bushfires still raging from the south to Galicia in the far northwest, where blazes have ­destroyed about 4500ha of land.

 The fires in Portugal claimed two more lives in the northern Vila Real region, after a car carrying two local villagers crashed off the road as they appeared to be trying to flee a fire zone.

Almost the entire country has been on high alert for bushfires despite a slight drop in temperatures, which last Thursday hit 47C.

The fires have already killed two other people, injured about 60 and destroyed up to 15,000ha of land there.

Greek firefighters also battled dozens of fires over the weekend.  In Britain, the extreme temperatures caused the suspension of flights at Luton Airport near London and Royal Air Force base Brize Norton due to “defects” on the runway where the tarmac had begun to melt.

Trains were cancelled and schools closed in affected areas.

In Westminster, the Speaker of the house ruled that MPs could dress without a jacket and tie for the rest of the week. At Lords where a county cricket match was being held, members could take off their jackets, but a tie was still required.

Those that could get on the few trains that were running across the country faced hours-long ­delays, sudden mid-route terminations and crowded standing room-only carriages with failing airconditioning.

The Sun tabloid newspaper headlined its coverage of the heat “British Bake Off”, ­observing that the “scorcher” was making the UK hotter than Ibiza in Spain where temperatures were a comparatively low 30C.

Amid the advice for people to stay in the shade and drink water, the BBC told readers they should put their sheets and socks in the freezer before going to bed.

This is a country that is already on edge, with poorly-ventilated buildings and services not prepared for the heat, and adds to the significant stress caused by the summer of discontent strikes, disrupted food chains and spiralling energy costs.

In Brighton, on England’s south coast, bank worker Abu Bakr put the heatwave into perspective.

“I come from Sudan,” he said. “Forty, 45 degrees is just the norm. This is as good as it can be.”

AFP

Additional reporting: Jacquelin Magnay