Heatwave, wildfires, cold snap: opposite extremes in northern and southern hemispheres
By the Climate Centre
The Turkish Red Crescent said yesterday its volunteers were assisting firefighters battling forest fires “in many parts of our country” with drinking water and food, as well as being on standby to assist displaced residents (photo).
More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from wildfires fanned by strong winds across five regions, many of them in the western province of Izmir, the Turkish interior ministry reported.
Earlier during the current European heatwave, the Hellenic Red Cross was helping to fight wildfires on the Greek island of Chios.
‘Top five warmest Junes’
There have been generally “persistent warmer-than-average temperatures in many areas of Europe throughout June,” the Copernicus Climate Change Service said, “with two heatwaves hitting western Europe, the first peaking around 20 June and the second a week later.
“For the continent as a whole, the month is likely to be ranked among the top five warmest Junes on record.”
Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, said: “The current June-July heatwave is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress … Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, more intense, and impacting larger geographical areas.”
France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have seen the largest deviations from average for the time of the year of up to 14ºC above the historical climate, Copernicus adds.
Morocco has also seen widespread temperatures of above 45°C, Maroc Météo said, while a national record of 46.6°C for the hottest June day in mainland Portugal was set in Mora, nearly 100km east of Lisbon.
‘Record-breaking cold’
The IFRC network has mobilized this week to provide safety tips, check on the most vulnerable and support efforts to battle wildfires.
“Red Cross Red Crescent teams are sharing advice on how to stay cool and manage sun exposure, recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses, store medication properly, and provide care to pets,” the IFRC Europe region said.
“Volunteers are giving out water and checking on the most vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness, older people, and outdoor workers.”
By contrast, in the southern hemisphere winter, June finished with “an unusual and record-breaking cold spell in South America – notably Argentina, Chile and Paraguay,” the WMO said yesterday.
The authorities in Uruguay last week asked homeless people to go to one of scores of shelters in the capital, Montevideo, and other parts of the country after a rare cold-snap claimed several lives, APTV reported.
More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from wildfires fanned by strong winds across five regions in Turkey, many of them in the western province of Izmir. (Photo: Turkish Red Crescent)