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Countries across the Mediterranean are contending with rapidly spreading wildfires and record-breaking temperatures as an intense heatwave sweeps through Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East. The severe weather has triggered mass evacuations, emergency alerts, and widespread concern as the region experiences its first major heatwave of the summer.
Wildfires ignited on Sunday in several countries including Greece, Turkey, France, and Syria. Other Mediterranean nations remain on high alert as forecasters warn that temperatures will continue to climb in the coming days. Governments from Spain to Italy have issued advisories urging residents to limit outdoor activity, particularly vulnerable populations, and avoid unnecessary travel.
Emergency services, including ambulances and rapid-response teams, have been deployed near popular tourist hotspots as a precaution. Meteorologists attribute the frequency and severity of these extreme heat events to climate change, noting that such patterns are becoming increasingly intense and widespread.
In western Turkey, strong winds exacerbated wildfires that broke out on Sunday in the province of Izmir. Firefighting teams, assisted by aerial support, were mobilised to tackle the flames. Authorities reported that five neighbourhoods in the Seferihisar district were evacuated for safety. Over the past week, firefighters have battled more than 600 wildfires in drought-stricken areas of the country.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Friday that 10 individuals had been arrested in connection with wildfires that erupted across the nation. At least three people were killed in the coastal province of Izmir, and efforts to contain a blaze in the southern coastal district of Dortyol in Hatay province were ongoing.
In Greece, more than 160 firefighters, supported by 46 fire engines and five aircraft, were dispatched to southern Evia to combat a blaze that began late Friday. The fire ravaged forested areas and forced the evacuation of two villages. Separate fires were also reported in the vicinity of Athens.
France experienced wildfires in the Corbières area of Aude, in the southwest, as temperatures surpassed 40°C (104°F). A campsite and a historic abbey were evacuated as precautionary measures. Meteo France placed 84 out of 101 departments under orange-level heat alerts on Monday due to soaring temperatures.
In Spain, the national weather agency AEMET recorded highs of up to 44°C (111°F) in the regions of Extremadura and Andalusia. “The heat we’re experiencing doesn’t feel normal for this time of year,” said Diego Radames, a 32-year-old photographer in Madrid, speaking to AFP. “Madrid just keeps getting hotter.”
Italy issued red alerts in 21 cities, including major urban centres such as Rome, Milan, and Naples. Emergency rooms reported a 10% increase in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine.
Portugal also faced severe heat, with the capital Lisbon placed under a red warning through Monday night. Approximately two-thirds of the country was designated high risk for wildfires and extreme heat conditions. On the island of Sicily, firefighters were called to extinguish 15 separate fires in a single day on Saturday.
Climate scientists continue to stress that such intense heatwaves are being amplified by global climate change. “Heatwaves in the Mediterranean have become more frequent and more intense in recent years,” said Emanuela Piervitali of Italy’s Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, speaking to AFP. “We’ll need to adapt to even higher extremes in the future.”
As wildfires rage and temperatures climb, governments across the region are scrambling to protect lives, infrastructure, and natural landscapes from what is increasingly becoming a seasonal crisis driven by a warming planet.
