Athens, Greece: Temperatures soared to new highs on Monday as a heat wave and wildfires scorched the northern hemisphere, forcing the evacuation of 1,200 children near a Greek resort.
Health authorities have sounded the alarm bells from North America to Europe and Asia, urging people to stay hydrated and shelter from the sun, in stark reminders of the effects of global warming.
Near Athens, a wildfire raged in high winds in the popular seaside town of Loutraki, where the mayor said a holiday camp for young people was at risk.
“We rescued 1,200 children who were in holiday camps,” Mayor Giorgos Gkionis said.
Emergency services are also battling forest fires in Kouvaras and the resorts of Lagonissi, Anavyssos and Saronida near Athens. Several houses were set on fire in the area, according to images from public broadcaster ERT.
“Extreme weather conditions (…) have a profound impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies,” said the Secretary General of the Meteorological Organization (WMO), Petteri Taalas.
“This underscores the growing urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible.”
“We thought we were going to run away”
In Rome, where temperatures neared a record 39C on Monday, American Colman Peavy couldn’t believe his eyes as he sipped a cappuccino in a cafe with his wife Ana at the start of a two-week holiday.
“We’re from Texas and it’s so hot there, we thought we’d escape the heat, but it’s even hotter here,” the 30-something said.
It was already the world’s hottest June on record, according to the EU weather monitoring service, and July looks set to challenge its own record.
China reported a new record in mid-July in the northwest of the country, where it reached 52.2°C in the village of Sanbao in the Xinjiang region, beating the previous record of 50.6°C established six years ago.
Heatstroke warnings have been issued in 32 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, mainly in the central and southwestern regions.
At least 60 people were treated for heatstroke, media reported, including 51 people taken to hospitals in Tokyo.
In Cyprus, where temperatures are expected to remain above 40C until Thursday, a 90-year-old man died of heatstroke and three other elderly people were hospitalized, officials said. health.
“Oppressive” heat in the United States
In the western and southern states of the United States, accustomed to high temperatures, more than 80 million people are under surveillance as a “widespread and oppressive” heat wave roasts the region.
California’s Death Valley, often one of the hottest places on earth, hit a record high of nearly 52°C on Sunday afternoon.
In Arizona, the state capital of Phoenix recorded a record 18th consecutive day above 43C (109F), as temperatures topped 45C (113F) on Monday afternoon.
The U.S. National Weather Service forecasts a similar high through at least Sunday, while overnight warning lows remain dangerous above 90°F (32°C).
“We’re used to 110, 112 (degrees Fahrenheit)… But not the stripes,” Nancy Leonard, a 64-year-old retiree from suburban Peoria, told Drita. “You just have to adapt.”
In southern California, several wildfires have broken out in recent days in a rural area east of Los Angeles.
The largest, called the Rabbit Fire, had burned nearly 8,000 acres and was 35% extinguished by Monday morning, authorities said.
In neighboring Canada, 882 wildfires were active Monday, including 579 deemed out of control, authorities said.
Smoke from the fires once again descended on the United States, triggering an air quality alert across much of the Northeast.
Historic record forecast
In Europe, Italians have been warned to prepare for “the most intense heat wave of the summer and also one of the most intense ever”, with red alerts issued for 16 cities including Rome, Bologna and Florence .
Spain experienced a slight respite with temperatures of 47C in the southern town of Villarrobledo.
In addition to the heat, parts of Asia also experience heavy rains.
South Korea’s president vowed on Monday to “totally overhaul” the country’s approach to extreme weather after at least 40 people died in new floods and mudslides during the rainy season, which is expected to continue through Wednesday.
“Professional communicator. General music practitioner. Passionate organizer. Evil twitter fan.”
