Heatwave hits southern Europe kills 1,500 Wildfire spreads and victims

Firefighters look at the flames at the site of a wildfire in the village of Tabara near Samora, northwestern Spain, on the 18th (local time). In Spain, wildfires are intensively occurring due to the recent heatwave with the highest daytime temperature reaching 43°C. /photo = AFP

The heatwave that hit southwestern Europe has killed more than 1,500 people.

On the 20th (local time), Archyde.com news agency reported that Portugal’s health authorities announced that there were 1,063 heat-related deaths between the 7th and 18th.

According to reports, similar to Portugal, the death toll followed in Spain, where the heat wave exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said more than 500 people were killed in the heatwave that lasted about 10 days.

As the heat wave and drought overlapped, forest fires continued, and many people were displaced.

In the case of France, the forest fire burned an area of about 110 square kilometers, which is 37 times the area of Yeouido in Seoul (2.9 square kilometers), and more than 14,000 people were displaced.

A thermometer installed on the street of Bilbao in the Basque Country, northern Spain, shows 46 degrees Celsius on the 17th (local time). In Spain, an unusual heat wave of over 40 degrees Celsius has continued for more than a week due to the influx of heat waves from the Sahara Desert. /photo = EPA

In London, England, where the temperature exceeded 40 degrees Celsius the day before, 41 buildings were damaged and 16 firefighters were injured in the fire.

It is known that 2,600 fires were reported the day before, which was usually around 350.

Meanwhile, in Northern Europe, unprecedented heat is in full swing.

According to the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), the highest temperature on the 20th in Roland Island in southern Denmark was 35.9 degrees and 35.6 degrees in Boris in western Jutland, respectively.

This is the first record in 81 years to break the record of 35.3 degrees Celsius in 1941, which is the highest July temperature ever recorded in 81 years.