South Europe High Alerts Forests Due To Extreme Heat

JAKARTA - South Europe is in a high alert position due to extreme heat and dry conditions that could trigger the risk of forest fires in France, Spain and Portugal.

This condition forced the authorities to issue red and orange warnings and mobilize firefighters.

Reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, August 4, the French Meteorological Agency (Meteo-France) placed the Aude region in southern France on red alert for forest fires on Tuesday, August 5.

This is the highest level of warning, with warnings of a "very high" risk due to extreme hot temperatures and dry winds, French news station BFM TV reported.

The area around Carcassonne, which was recently hit by major forest fires in July, is likely to experience a temperature spike of up to 35$C in Narbonnne and Castelnaudary.

In early July, more than 1,000 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire that scorched more than 2,000 hectares of land in Aude.

In addition, nine other French regions, including Haute-Garonne, Herault, Gard, and Bouches-du-Rhone, are in "high" orange alert status for fire risk.

Menurut Meteo-France, " kondisi cuaca membuat risiko terjadinya kebakaran hutan dan vegetasi dengan tingkat penyebaran tinggi dibandingkan dengan kondisi normal musim panas."

Meanwhile, on the Iberian Peninsula, the current day's temperature reaches 5 to 10°C above the seasonal average, with some areas in Spain placed on orange alert, according to the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet).

"Hot waves are likely to last for a long time and last at least until next Sunday," Amet said on X.

In Galicia, Spain, fires in Vilardevos (Oureense) have scorched 570 hectares of land, but have stabilized on Sunday evening, according to the Military Emergency Unit.

According to Spanish broadcast media RTVE, efforts to prevent fires from continuing again have continued, with more than 100 personnel, 10 aircraft, and many ground vehicles mobilized.

Meanwhile, three forest fires are still active in Ponteceso, the A Coruna region, which has an impact on an area of more than 400 hectares.

There are intense arson activities, with about 50 daily warnings and unfavorable weather conditions, said Regional Rural Affairs Minister Maria Jose Gomez, urging the public to act responsibly.

Portugal is also facing critical conditions.

The Portuguese government declared the risk of a "very high" fire as of Thursday amid the second heat wave this summer, the Portuguese state news agency reported, the day after.

More than 25,700 hectares have been on fire in Portugal since the start of the year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

Portugal's civil protection agency national operations official ANEPC, Pedro Araujo, said the fires that broke out at Villa Real, Celorico de Basto, Fafe, and Arcos de Valdevez could be controlled on Monday, deploying more than 600 firefighters and 216 vehicles.

Portuguese Interior Minister Maria Lucia Amaral announced strict preventive measures throughout the week, by banning access to forests, use of machinery in rural areas, and fireworks devices.