# Heatwave scorches Europe; health warnings issued
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-07-15
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Europe Battles Devastating Wildfires Amid Heatwave
Meta Description: Hundreds evacuated in France, Spain, Portugal as blazes rage on. Drought hits Italy. UK issues extreme heat warnings. Health concerns rise.
URL: https://financedigest.com/heatwave-scorches-europe-health-warnings-issuedhtml

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By Catarina Demony and Kylie MacLellan

LEIRIA, Portugal/LONDON (Reuters) -Hundreds more people were evacuated from their homes as wildfires blistered land in France, Spain and Portugal on Friday, while officials in Europe issued health warnings for the heatwave in the coming days.

More than 1,000 firefighters, supported by water-bomber aircraft, have battled since Tuesday to control two blazes in southwestern France that have been fanned by scorching heat, tinder-box conditions and strong winds.

While temperatures dipped a little in Portugal, they were still [expected to top](https://www.financedigest.com/revealed-the-top-5-places-brits-expect-to-find-the-one-in-2016.html "REVEALED: THE TOP 5 PLACES BRITS EXPECT TO FIND ‘THE ONE’ IN 2016") 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in some places, with five districts on red alert and more than 1,000 firefighters tackling 17 wildfires, authorities said.

In Spain, a new wildfire broke out in the [south of the country after blazes in the west](https://www.financedigest.com/first-time-buyer-bags-a-dream-home-in-south-west-london.html "First time buyer bags a dream home in south west London") in the past week.

More than 400 [people were evacuated](https://www.financedigest.com/the-man-who-evacuated-200-people-from-mariupol-in-a-battered-red-van.html "The man who evacuated 200 people from Mariupol in a battered red van") from the hills of Mijas, a town popular with northern European tourists in the province of Malaga. Beachgoers in Torremolinos, some 20 km away, could [see plumes of smoke rising](https://www.financedigest.com/ecb-governors-see-rising-risk-of-rate-hitting-2-to-curb-inflation-sources.html "ECB governors see rising risk of rate hitting 2% to curb inflation – sources") above the hotels lining the coast.

Meanwhile, the worst drought in over 70 years reduced Italy’s longest river, the Po, to little more than a trickle in places, with temperatures [expected to rise](https://www.financedigest.com/instant-view-us-may-payrolls-rise-up-than-expected.html "Instant View: US May payrolls rise up than expected") next week.

Officials are worried about the effects on people’s health and on healthcare systems already [challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic as the searing heat](https://www.financedigest.com/guccis-challenge-reigniting-heat-while-boosting-timeless-appeal.html "Gucci’s challenge: reigniting heat while boosting timeless appeal") sweeps the continent, with warnings issued for worse to come in Britain in particular.

The [World Meteorological Organization](https://www.financedigest.com/explainer-how-the-world-health-organization-might-fight-future-pandemics.html "Explainer-How the World Health Organization might fight future pandemics") said the heatwave would worsen air quality, especially in towns and cities.

“The stable and stagnant atmosphere acts as a lid to trap atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter,” Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer, told a Geneva press briefing.

“These result in a degradation of air quality and adverse health effects, particularly for vulnerable people.”

Portuguese [Health Minister Marta Temido said on Thursday the health system](https://www.financedigest.com/health-care-systems-show-moderate-decrease-in-liability-claims-find-correlation-between-worker-safety-and-patient-safety.html "Health Care Systems Show Moderate Decrease in Liability Claims, Find Correlation Between Worker Safety and Patient Safety") faced a “particularly worrying” week due to the heatwave and said some hospitals were overwhelmed.

From July 7 to July 13, Portugal registered 238 excess [deaths due to the heatwave](https://www.financedigest.com/madrid-street-sweepers-death-prompts-curbs-on-heatwave-working-hours.html "Madrid street-sweeper’s death prompts curbs on heatwave working hours"), the country’s DGS health authority said. Spain registered 84 excess deaths attributable to extreme temperatures in the first three days of the heatwave, [according to the National Epidemiology Centre’s database](https://www.financedigest.com/half-of-small-businesses-operating-in-the-red-according-to-analysis-of-250k-sme-database.html "Half of small businesses operating in the red, according to analysis of 250K SME database").

UK WARNING

Britain’s weather [forecaster issued its first red “extreme heat” warning](https://www.financedigest.com/paypals-spending-warning-casts-pall-over-upbeat-forecast.html "PayPal’s spending warning casts pall over upbeat forecast") for parts of England on Monday and Tuesday.

Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking temperatures are likely early next week,” Met [Office Chief](https://www.financedigest.com/host-analytics-appoints-chris-labruna-as-chief-revenue-officer.html "Host Analytics Appoints Chris LaBruna as Chief Revenue Officer") Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said.

“Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas,” he said. This is likely to [lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure.”](https://www.financedigest.com/invest-in-infrastructure-to-escape-the-starvation-cycle-warns-leading-nonprofit-sector-strategist.html "Invest In Infrastructure To Escape The ‘Starvation Cycle’, Warns Leading Nonprofit Sector Strategist")

The highest [recorded temperature in Britain](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-on-course-for-hottest-day-on-record.html "Britain on course for hottest day on record") was 38.7 C (101.7 F) recorded in Cambridge on July 25, 2019.

Hannah Cloke, [climate expert at Britain’s University of Reading, said the heatwave showed climate change was here and there was an urgent need](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-global-climate-coalitions-need-safer-harbour-from-antitrust-turbulence.html "Analysis-Global climate coalitions need safer harbour from antitrust turbulence") to adapt.

“We are seeing these problems now and they are going to get worse. We need to do something now,” she told Reuters.

“It’s harder to cope with these types of temperatures in the UK because we’re just not used to them.”

In Portugal, the [highest temperature on Thursday was recorded](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-inflation-hits-40-year-record-highest-in-g7.html "UK inflation hits 40-year record, highest in G7") in the northern town of Pinhao at 47 C (116.6 F), just below the record.

Raymond Loadwick, 73, a retiree from Britain now living in the Portuguese district of Leiria, had to [leave his home](https://www.financedigest.com/two-in-three-people-cant-leave-their-work-emails-alone-at-home.html "Two in three people can’t leave their work emails alone at home") with his dog Jackson when flames started to burn down a hill packed with highly flammable eucalyptus and pine trees on Tuesday.

When he returned a day later, his white house stood untouched but the vegetation around it had turned to ashes and his fruit trees were burned down. Loadwick is scared fires will happen more [often in the future:](https://www.financedigest.com/investors-often-ignore-capital-gains-tax-but-should-consider-selling-now-to-avoid-a-higher-future-tax.html "Investors often ignore capital gains tax, but should consider selling now to avoid a higher future tax") “You have to be on your guard,” he told Reuters.

In France’s Gironde region, 11,300 people have been evacuated since the wildfires broke out around Dune du Pilat and Landiras. Some 7,350 hectares (18,000 acres) of land have been burnt. Authorities said the fires had not yet been stabilised.

Elsewhere in Spain, the wildfires that have been burning in parts of Extremadura, which borders Portugal, and the central Castille and Leon region forced the [evacuation of four more small villages](https://www.financedigest.com/swiss-prepare-to-evacuate-village-threatened-by-vast-landslide.html "Swiss prepare to evacuate village threatened by vast landslide") late on Thursday and on Friday.

The flames are now threatening a 16th century monastery and a [national park](https://www.financedigest.com/belaruss-high-tech-park-announces-second-phase-legal-framework-cryptocurrency-industry-bid-become-leading-crypto-nation.html "Belarus’s High Tech Park Announces Second Phase Of Legal Framework For Cryptocurrency Industry In Bid To Become Leading Crypto Nation"). Several hundred people have been evacuated since the fires started and 7,500 hectares of forest have been destroyed in the two regions.

In Catalonia in the northeast, authorities suspended camping and sporting activities around 275 towns and villages to [prevent fire risks](https://www.financedigest.com/preventing-an-operationally-crippling-ransomware-attack-do-you-know-where-your-risk-exposure-lies.html "PREVENTING AN OPERATIONALLY CRIPPLING RANSOMWARE ATTACK –  DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR RISK EXPOSURE LIES?") and restricted farm work involving machinery.

(Additional reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris, Emma Pinedo, Elena Rodriguez and Christina Thykjaer in Madrid, Hannah McKay in Torremolinos, William James in London and Emma Farge in Geneva; Writing by Alison Williams; Editing by Frances Kerry and Hugh Lawson)


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