Climate change: Deadly heatwave hits European countries

After ravaging Portugal and Spain since the beginning of this month, an unprecedented heatwave has been brewing in France and the United Kingdom, where it could break all national records for high temperatures and cause thousands of deaths, as has happened in the Iberian countries.

The incident is defined by local authorities as a public health emergency and climate changes.

In Portugal, for example, more than 1,000 people have died in recent days, most of them elderly. (16) On Saturday, CBS reported that 360 people died as a result of the brutal temperature rise in the country, Spain’s Carlos III Institute of Health, which records daily deaths from the condition in what has been called the “second heat wave of summer.” from 10 to 15 July.

Many regions reached unprecedented peaks followed by 43º C.

Fires make the situation worse

To compound the desolate scenario, thousands of people in Portugal, Spain and France were forced to flee their homes, as firefighters began tackling wildfires caused by the heatwave.

According to the news of the British newspaper The Guardian, there is an “extraordinary situation” in Portugal.
Power since 10 with more than 2,000 firefighters responding to 28 fires.

Massive forest fires have also hit southwestern France in the Gironde region, where at least 28,000 citizens have been evacuated from their homes. In Spain, firefighters battled the spread of the fire on more than 4,000 hectares of land.

In the Extremadura region, where the fire reached the Monfragüe park, famous for its biodiversity and bird life, thermometers recorded 45ºC.