Sky News
Updated Wed, 16 August 2023
Wildfires raging across the world and record heatwaves are "really alarming" evidence of the speed of climate change, Europe's top space official has said.
He urged politicians not to abandon European leadership in combating global warming as it causes "enormous changes" to the planet.
Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency, made the comments as wildfires burn in Portugal, Tenerife and Canada.
At least 106 people have died after devastating fires in Hawaii in recent days.
Spanish authorities ordered the evacuation of four villages on the Canary island on Wednesday after a fire broke out in a nature park surrounding the Mount Teide volcano.
The fire, which started on Tuesday night, was raging through a forested area in steep ravines in the northeastern part of Tenerife, making firefighters' task more difficult.
It comes after the Canary Islands were hit by a heatwave that left many areas bone dry, increasing the risk of wildfires.
In Canada's Northwest Territories, the authorities have declared a state of emergency due to wildfires that have largely destroyed a remote community and now pose a risk to the territorial capital, Yellowknife.
There have been 265 wildfires in the Northwest Territories this year, much higher than its 10-year annual average of 185.
Wildfires have engulfed parts of nearly all 13 Canadian provinces and territories this year, forcing home evacuations, disrupting energy production, and drawing in federal as well as international firefighting resources.
The World Meteorological Organisation said July had the highest global average temperature for any month on record.
"This is really alarming," Mr Aschbacher, a leading expert on environmental observation, said.
"It just confirms that climate change is the biggest threat to our planet, to humankind, and will remain so for the next decades and we do need to do everything we can to mitigate the effects."
Read more:
Countries worst affected by extreme water stress
Factors behind Hawaii's devastating wildfires
Scientists predict how often heatwaves will now occur
Scientists say climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, intense and likely to happen across seasons, not just in what were regarded as the summer months.
But pressure is growing on some governments over the cost of net-zero commitments on emissions, and analysts say looming elections in Europe could put future measures at risk.
In Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned of climate policies that "unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs".
Mr Ashbacher said long-term costs were likely to be far higher unless governments respond to "crystal clear" evidence, including satellite measurements, of the recent heat emergency in southern Europe.
French wildfires see 3,000 holidaymakers evacuated from campsites
Henry Samuel
Tue, 15 August 2023
A campsite in Saint-Andre destroyed by the wildfires in south-west France - Charly Triballeau/AFP
Thousands of holidaymakers have been evacuated from campsites in France as wildfires swept through the country’s south-west, near the Spanish border.
About 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of land were scorched as 450 firefighters backed up by surveillance aircraft fought to keep the flames in check south of the city of Perpignan.
“The fires have been contained,” senior regional official Rodrigue Furcy told local radio. But he added the worst affected area was “under close surveillance and firefighters were still battling the blaze”.
Up to 3,000 people staying at four campsites in the region had been evacuated on Monday evening as a precaution amid the blazes.
With the exception of “350 to 400” people, the holidaymakers had been able to return to their campsites on Tuesday, said Mr Furcy.
Some had lost their documents, money and cars in the fires, officials said.
The wildfires scorched about 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of land south of the city of Perpignan - Raymond Roig/AFP
The wildfires initially broke out on Monday afternoon near the villages of Saint-Andre, Sorède and the seaside resort of Argelès.
The flames had spread rapidly because of “extremely hot weather, drought and strong winds”.
Nineteen firefighters had sustained light injuries, mainly from smoke inhalation, and one was admitted to hospital after a fall “but the good news is that there have been no fatalities”, added Mr Furcy.
Thirty houses were damaged, along with a warehouse and a campsite.
Several roads were closed and the train service from Perpignan to the Spanish border was suspended for several hours.
French interior minister Gérald Darmanin said that the situation was under control and paid tribute to firefighters.
Region hit by intense heat and drought
Bordering Spain, the Pyrenees-Orientales region has been worse affected than any other French region by a devastating drought. The lack of water and high heat has seen various towns impose water restrictions and ban the construction of new swimming pools.
The area was vulnerable because of “intense heat, dryness and tumultuous winds of up to 180km/h”, said authorities.
Climate change is being blamed as a factor for a rash of wildfires in Europe and around the globe this summer.
Fires forced tens of thousands of people in Greece, Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe to evacuate earlier this year, while in western Canada smoke from a series of severe fires blanketed a vast swath of the American Midwest and East Coast.
In Hawaii, last week’s devastating wildfires on the island of Maui have killed at least 99 people, forced tens of thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate the island and devastated the historic resort city of Lahaina. It is the deadliest American wildfire in more than a century.
Henry Samuel
Tue, 15 August 2023
A campsite in Saint-Andre destroyed by the wildfires in south-west France - Charly Triballeau/AFP
Thousands of holidaymakers have been evacuated from campsites in France as wildfires swept through the country’s south-west, near the Spanish border.
About 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of land were scorched as 450 firefighters backed up by surveillance aircraft fought to keep the flames in check south of the city of Perpignan.
“The fires have been contained,” senior regional official Rodrigue Furcy told local radio. But he added the worst affected area was “under close surveillance and firefighters were still battling the blaze”.
Up to 3,000 people staying at four campsites in the region had been evacuated on Monday evening as a precaution amid the blazes.
With the exception of “350 to 400” people, the holidaymakers had been able to return to their campsites on Tuesday, said Mr Furcy.
Some had lost their documents, money and cars in the fires, officials said.
The wildfires scorched about 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of land south of the city of Perpignan - Raymond Roig/AFP
The wildfires initially broke out on Monday afternoon near the villages of Saint-Andre, Sorède and the seaside resort of Argelès.
The flames had spread rapidly because of “extremely hot weather, drought and strong winds”.
Nineteen firefighters had sustained light injuries, mainly from smoke inhalation, and one was admitted to hospital after a fall “but the good news is that there have been no fatalities”, added Mr Furcy.
Thirty houses were damaged, along with a warehouse and a campsite.
Several roads were closed and the train service from Perpignan to the Spanish border was suspended for several hours.
French interior minister Gérald Darmanin said that the situation was under control and paid tribute to firefighters.
Region hit by intense heat and drought
Bordering Spain, the Pyrenees-Orientales region has been worse affected than any other French region by a devastating drought. The lack of water and high heat has seen various towns impose water restrictions and ban the construction of new swimming pools.
The area was vulnerable because of “intense heat, dryness and tumultuous winds of up to 180km/h”, said authorities.
Climate change is being blamed as a factor for a rash of wildfires in Europe and around the globe this summer.
Fires forced tens of thousands of people in Greece, Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe to evacuate earlier this year, while in western Canada smoke from a series of severe fires blanketed a vast swath of the American Midwest and East Coast.
In Hawaii, last week’s devastating wildfires on the island of Maui have killed at least 99 people, forced tens of thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate the island and devastated the historic resort city of Lahaina. It is the deadliest American wildfire in more than a century.
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