ISLAMABAD, July 21 (Alliance News): Emergency services are scrambling to tackle wildfires in southern Europe and evacuate residents to safer places, while Britain has had its warmest day this week for the first time in a row against climate change. The struggle has been warned to intensify.
According to the report of the foreign media, a fire broke out due to stormy winds on the mountains north of Athens, after which hundreds of people, including patients being treated at the hospital, were forced to move, while the Tuscans of Lucca in central Italy. A forest fire near the town has caused gas tanks to explode, forcing hundreds of people to relocate.
Record heat was felt across the Mediterranean last week, while Portugal and Spain are once again experiencing record temperatures.
In Spain, where crews are busy fighting forest fires, the local meteorological department has predicted an increase in heat.
Record rise in temperature
Wildfires started in many parts of Italy and 14 cities including Rome, Milan and Florence due to a sharp rise in temperatures on Wednesday, while several regions in the north and center of the aforementioned cities were predicted to blaze this week. The temperature is likely to reach 40 degrees Celsius.
It is to be noted that on Tuesday, the temperature in the UK was recorded above 40 for the first time and the previous record of heat in the country was left behind by 1.6 degrees Celsius.
Sadiq Khan, a member of Britain’s opposition party Labor Party and Mayor of London, has also issued a similar warning in view of the temperature.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said that it is a sad reality that if we do not take drastic measures to control the climate crisis, the future of London and the UK is likely to look like this.
strong winds
Wildfires have intensified in southern Europe, after thick clouds of smoke engulfed the sky over Mount Pantelei, 27 kilometers (16 miles) north of Athens, in Greece and the blaze spread rapidly. Lagi Hai where 500 firefighters, 120 fire engines and 15 water tankers tried to control the fire that broke out yesterday.
Officials said that they have evacuated nine settlements from there.
A hospital and Athens’ National Observatory were also evacuated from the affected areas, officials said, while police helped evacuate at least 600 civilians.
Last year, wildfires in Greece destroyed about 470 square miles of forest and bushland in various regions, while this year the country is facing its worst heat wave in 30 years.
Governor Eugenio Gianni said in a statement on Twitter that 500 civilians were forced to evacuate due to the fire as flames reached several villages overnight and liquefied gas tanks also exploded.