Millions of people across Europe were sweltering in yet more extreme heat on Wednesday, as raging wildfires tore through the countryside, forcing thousands from their homes and blanketing parts of Italy, Greece and France in smoke.
After temperatures smashed records in the UK on Tuesday, the extreme heat is moving east across the continent, leaving a trail of destruction in many rural areas and exposing a lack of preparedness, even in some of Europe’s biggest cities.
Temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (nearly 38 degrees Celsius) are forecast in Germany, Hungary and Italy today or in the coming days.
The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) said 19 European countries were at “extreme danger” for wildfires on Wednesday, across an expanse stretching from Portugal and Spain in the south-west to Albania and Turkey in the south-east.
On the outskirts of the Greek capital, Athens, firefighters are tackling vast blazes where wind is whipping up flames and smoke, and hampering containment efforts. At least 600 people have been evacuated, including from a children’s hospital, authorities said.
Credit: cnn.com
