▲ A wildfire burning in southwestern France
Western European countries such as France and Spain, which have been struggling to contain massive wildfires, are facing a new heat wave starting from the 28th local time, raising concerns that the blazes could worsen.
According to Meteo-France, a new heat wave began as subtropical air originating from Morocco in North Africa moved northward into France starting today.
The intense heat is expected to begin in the southwestern region and expand to most parts of France on the 29th.
The meteorological agency issued a yellow heat wave advisory starting at noon today for the southwestern departments of Gironde and Landes, where firefighting operations are currently in full swing.
Temperatures in Bordeaux, the capital of Gironde, rose to 36°C (97°F) today.
On the 29th, temperatures are forecast to rise even higher, reaching 37–39°C (99–102°F) in the greater Paris region and soaring to 40–41°C (104–106°F) in some parts of the southwest.
Among the 96 departments in metropolitan France, an orange heat wave alert is set to be issued for 16 regions, including Gironde and Landes, while a yellow alert will be issued for 63 regions.
While winds are expected to weaken somewhat amid the heat wave, the air is projected to become drier, which is expected to hinder firefighting efforts.
The wildfire in the Gironde region, which has burned 42,000 hectares since it broke out on the 22nd, maintained a stable state overnight, but flames are spreading again in various areas as daytime temperatures rise.
A special forces base specializing in intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance missions near Bordeaux has fallen within the wildfire zone, prompting water-dropping operations by aircraft.
Wildfires also re-ignited in Cap Ferret on the southwestern coast, leading to the deployment of aerial resources.
As the heat wave alert heightened the risk of wildfire spread, 4,000 tourists were preemptively evacuated, mainly from campsites in the small town of Lacanau.
Gironde authorities have banned all sports and cultural events until the 8th of next month to minimize potential wildfire ignition risks.
Spain, where 75,000 hectares burned due to a massive wildfire near the capital city of Madrid, is also facing a critical day ahead of the heat wave.
Spain's meteorological agency projected that a heat wave with peak temperatures exceeding 42°C (108°F) will continue from the 29th through the 2nd of next month.
It also warned of a high risk of fires due to high temperatures, strong winds, and very low humidity.
Visiting the eastern region of Valencia—another area affected by wildfires in Spain—the previous day, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, "Due to rising temperatures, difficult times lie ahead," adding that he hopes to extinguish the major wildfires by the evening of the 28th if possible.
In Portugal as well, temperatures are surging with a 40°C (104°F) heat wave forecasted for this week, prompting wildfire alerts amid compounding dry weather conditions.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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