Europe wildfire risk spreads to French Riviera, as Greece battles over 100 blazes
- A high risk zone in southern France will include much of the coast and inland areas between Marseilles and Nice from Sunday, say the authorities
- In Greece, over 130 people were evacuated after a fire reached an ammunition dump near an air force base, triggering explosions
Europe’s wildfire threat is spreading to the French Riviera, while firefighters in Greece battle more than 100 blazes.
A high risk zone in southern France will encompass large portions of the coast and inland areas between Marseilles and Nice from Sunday, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. Parts of Italy and Spain are also threatened, with rising temperatures forecast for the Iberian Peninsula in the next week.
Strong winds are hampering efforts to contain wildfires burning across the Mediterranean from Algeria to Turkey.
The world is on track for its hottest ever month in July, and scientists say the extreme heat seen across the Northern Hemisphere from the US to China would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change.
Efforts to curb the use of fossil fuels fall well short of what is required to address a rapidly warming planet.
“Climate change is here, it is terrifying, and it is just the beginning,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday. “The era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived.”
In Greece, more than 130 people were evacuated by three coastguard vessels and 15 private craft from the town and municipality of Nea Anchialos after a fire in the area reached an ammunition dump near an air force base, triggering a series of explosions.