"Wildfires Are Still Not Under Control, and a 40-Degree Heat Wave Is Coming"...France and Spain on Alert

[Financial News] A heat wave has returned to Western Europe, including France and Spain, where firefighters are already struggling to contain wildfires, raising fears that the blazes could spread further.
According to Météo-France on the 28th local time, a new heat wave began as subtropical air from Morocco in North Africa moved north into France. The intense heat is expected to start in the southwest and spread across most of France on the 29th.
As a result, the weather agency issued a yellow heat alert from noon that day for the Gironde and Landes departments in southwestern France, where wildfire suppression efforts are in full swing. Temperatures in Bordeaux, the capital of Gironde, rose to 36 degrees Celsius. Although the heat is expected to ease winds somewhat, the air will become even drier, making firefighting more difficult.
The wildfire in Gironde, which has burned 42,000 hectares since it broke out on the 22nd, remained stable overnight, but flames are flaring up again in some areas as daytime temperatures rise. A special unit base near Bordeaux, which specializes in intelligence gathering and reconnaissance missions, came under threat from the fire, prompting water drops from aircraft. To minimize the risk of new fires, the Gironde authorities have banned all sports and cultural events until the 8th of next month.
Spain, where 75,000 hectares have burned in a major wildfire near the capital Madrid, faced a decisive day ahead of the heat wave.
Spain's weather agency forecast that a heat wave with highs above 42 degrees Celsius would continue from the 29th through the 2nd of next month. It also warned that the combination of high temperatures, strong winds and very low humidity would create a severe fire risk.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Valencia CF in eastern Spain, another wildfire-hit area, the previous day and said, "Rising temperatures will make the coming days difficult," adding that he hoped major wildfires could be brought under control by the evening of the 28th if possible.
[email protected] Hong Chaewan Reporter