The northern hemisphere begins a new week in oppressive heat on Monday, with temperatures in Europe expected above 40° in Italy or heatwave alerts in Spain, devastating fires continuing to rage in Canada and California. Up to 48°C are expected at the start of the week in Sardinia, a Mediterranean island to the west of the Italian boot.
In Spain, which is already emerging from a sweltering week, the meteorological agency issued an orange alert for Monday on Sunday, warning of temperatures of 38° to 42° over large areas of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, as well as a red alert (extreme danger) Monday in areas of Andalusia, and Tuesday in Aragon, Catalonia and Mallorca (42° to 44°).
The consequences of these high temperatures have already been felt in the Canary Islands, on the island of La Palma, where a fire ravaged 5,000 hectares of land this weekend and forced the evacuation of 4,000 people.
Red alert in Italy
In Europe, where global warming is progressing at a rate twice as fast as the global average according to experts, several countries are particularly suffering. In Italy, 16 cities are on red alert across the country, with mercury hovering around 36/37°C, but perceived temperatures that could exceed 40°.
In Romania, temperatures will be around 39 degrees on Monday. In Greece, where temperatures are expected to drop slightly, the Acropolis of Athens was closed to the public on Sunday between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time. Local authorities urged people to be careful and warned of the high risk of fires.
US temperature records
In the United States, from Florida (southeast) to California (west) via Texas (south), a large part of the south of the country found itself again on Sunday under the influence of a heat wave. described as “oppressive” by the weather services, which predict several temperature records.
In the famous Death Valley, in California, one of the hottest places on the planet, the thermometer showed 51°C on Saturday evening, and we expected up to 54°C in the following hours.
In addition to the high temperatures, southern California is burning due to several very violent fires still in progress, which have already ravaged more than 3,000 hectares and led to the evacuation of the population. According to the state fire department, the blaze is only “10% contained”, raising fears of worsening conditions. In Florida, the city of Miami issued its first “excessive heat” alert in its history. “Prepare for oppressive heat,” the municipality warned on Twitter.
Other parts of the United States are at risk of severe weather. “Strong to violent thunderstorms, heavy rain and flooding are possible in many places, particularly and unfortunately in New England, already saturated” by recent rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.
A flash flood killed four people Saturday in a county north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and three more people were still missing there Sunday, authorities said.
Fires in Canada
In Canada, more than ten million hectares have already burned this year, more than the country has already known, according to a report which remains provisional with 906 fires still active on Saturday, including 570 considered to be out of control, according to the national figures from the Canadian Interagency Wildfire Center (CIFFC).
A second firefighter died in the country after being injured battling the mega-fires, authorities said. A first had lost his life two days earlier.
Asia not spared
Japan issued heat stroke alerts on Sunday for tens of millions of its inhabitants, living in 20 of its 47 prefectures, as near-record temperatures hit much of the country.
In Tokyo, where the temperature reached 36 ° C, “just walking around is exhausting”, admitted Coline Grison, 24, a tourist from France. “We are sweating without doing anything,” she told AFP. The country is also facing torrential rains which have killed at least eight people, including a man found dead on Saturday in a flooded car in the North.
In South Korea, rescuers struggled to reach people trapped in a flooded tunnel as heavy rains in recent days left at least 37 people dead and nine missing.
The weather services of China have issued several warning messages, predicting temperatures that can reach 45 ° C in the partially desert region of Xinjiang, and 39 ° C in the southern region of Guangxi.