Wildfires and a severe heatwave sweeping across Europe have claimed the lives of two people in Spain and another two in France, while also causing the shutdown of a nuclear reactor in Switzerland.
On Wednesday, as extreme temperatures persisted, Spanish authorities reported that a wildfire in Catalonia had killed two individuals the previous day. Meanwhile, France's energy minister confirmed two deaths directly linked to the heatwave, with an additional 300 people hospitalised due to heat-related conditions.
Italy has issued red alerts for 18 cities amid soaring temperatures, and Türkiye continues to battle wildfires. Meteorologists have described the current heatwave as "exceptional" due to its unusually early arrival in the European summer.
In Spain, a fire in Torrefeta, Catalonia, scorched farmland and covered an area of around 40 kilometres (25 miles). While mostly brought under control, officials warned of renewed risks due to expected thunderstorms and high winds. The fire service described the blaze as "extremely violent and erratic", fuelled by storm activity and wind, which created a convection cloud that complicated firefighting efforts.
In Barcelona, authorities are also investigating whether a street cleaner's recent death might be heat-related.
Spain has just recorded its hottest June ever, while France experienced its warmest June since 2003, according to Energy Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher. Meteo France said red alerts remained in effect for several central regions, though temperatures were beginning to ease in the west. However, the east still faced intense thunderstorms and heavy downpours.
Temperatures were forecast to reach up to 39°C (102.2°F) in parts of France, including 34°C in Paris and between 36°C and 38°C in cities like Strasbourg, Lyon, Grenoble, and Avignon.
In Italy, Florence was set to be among the hottest cities, reaching 39°C. Red alerts were issued for 18 cities, including Milan and Rome. Authorities also warned of sudden, violent storms, particularly in the central Apennines and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily.
In Switzerland, the utility company Axpo shut down one reactor at the Beznau nuclear power plant and reduced the output of another due to elevated river water temperatures used for cooling. These restrictions are expected to remain in place as temperatures continue to be monitored.
Scientists attribute the intensifying heatwaves and wildfires to climate change, driven largely by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, along with deforestation and industrial activities.
Last year was officially the hottest year on record for the planet according to The World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meetin...
The 81st UN General Assembly returns for its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplo...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with th...
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
Türkiye’s COP31 presidency has unveiled an action agenda designed to turn climate commitments into concrete projects and measurable results, focusing on clean energy, waste reduction, resilient cities and industrial decarbonisation.
Greenland and Antarctica have shed a combined 11.3 trillion tonnes of ice since 1979, according to the most comprehensive satellite study of the planet's ice sheets to date, with researchers warning the pace of loss has accelerated sharply in recent decades.
The European Union will continue allowing large-scale plastic waste exports to Türkiye despite concerns over recycling rates, environmental damage and the risk of illegal waste trafficking.
Hundreds of thousands of deep-diving turtles, known as olive ridley sea turtles, have arrived on Mexico’s southern coast for one of nature’s most striking nesting events. But conservation officials warn that climate change is making it increasingly difficult for their eggs to hatch.
August 2026 tied as the hottest month ever recorded globally, pushing average temperatures above the critical 1.5°C threshold as extreme weather swept across several regions, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment