France faces raging wildfires and second heatwave of the summer

Greater than 1,000 firefighters have been deployed to try to comprise the flames in France’s Gironde area the place as many as 7,000 hectares of land are believed to have been destroyed.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron visited a disaster centre the place the scenario is being monitored in Paris on Friday.

He described an “exceptionally harsh season”, including that that they had “already misplaced 3 times extra forest areas than in 2020.”

The French president thanked firefighters for his or her “heroic efforts”, and expressed gratitude in direction of different European nations which were serving to France deal with the disaster, together with Greece which “has made a number of units accessible,” and Italy which “ought to present help within the coming days,” Macron mentioned.

Within the southern area of Bouches-du-Rhone, firefighters battling one other blaze mentioned after days of labor that they believed that they had the scenario beneath management. However the area stays on excessive alert.

A number of cities in each areas have cancelled fireworks for Bastille day on Wednesday for fears of triggering new fires. Authorities are discussing a complete hearth ban.

It comes as France is within the midst of a extreme drought with water restrictions in place in a number of areas and is going through its second heatwave this summer time.

Recurring phenomenon

In response to Météo France, heatwave episodes have turn out to be considerably extra present.

Between 1976 and 2000, France skilled one to a few days a yr when temperatures would climb past 35°C.

Since then, the common variety of days a yr when thermometers will register such excessive temperatures has climbed to between three and ten.

The climate company predicts that, by the tip of the century, France could expertise as many as 40 days of intense warmth per yr.

The nation stays scarred by a lethal warmth wave that killed 15,000 individuals in 2003 which prompted the creation of a “Plan Canicule” or a Nationwide Warmth Wave Plan which authorities now set off yearly in June.

Past public well being warnings concerning the danger of publicity to excessive temperatures, the federal government has additionally positioned emergency responders and medical personnel on excessive alert.