Wildfires are raging across Europe, where a heatwave has intensified drought conditions. Though temperatures have cooled in France and the UK, firefighters are still tackling blazes in Greece, Spain and Italy. The fires in France’s badly hit south-west have started to be brought under control. And as the heatwave moves north-east, low water levels are hampering transport on rivers in Germany.Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.More than 1,000 deaths have been linked to the extremely high temperatures in Portugal while in Spain it is at least 500.In Greece, firefighters were tackling a blaze on Mount Penteli, to the north-east of the capital Athens. page 7
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Wildfires rage as heatwave batters Europe
A firefighter holds a fire hose as a wildfire rages in the Monts d'Arree, near Brasparts, Brittany, on July 19, 2022. - A heatwave fuelling ferocious wildfires in Europe pushed temperatures in Britain over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time after regional heat records tumbled in France. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)
Qatar Tribune
Jul 21, 2022
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