Infernos devastate forests as Europe's temperatures rise
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The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
First up this morning, wildfires are raging across Europe in the midst of the ongoing heatwave. The fires have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Holidaymakers have fled campsites while spectators have been banned from a stage of the Tour de France. Joining me to tell me more now is reporter in France, Elaine Cobb. And in Portugal, we'll be joined by reporter Alison Roberts. Elaine, first to you, and thank you for being with us this morning. Can you talk us through what's happening across France, particularly in the south of the country?
What are the current wildfires impacting Europe?
Good morning, Clare. This is the third heat wave of the year and it's sparking massive wildfires, particularly in the south, in the Pyrenees, where they've been evacuating more than 12,000 people now. There are homes burned to the ground, livestock are dead and people who thought that maybe it wouldn't last are now... desperately looking for some way to get farther away from the homes they're afraid they may never see again. Now, the local police chief says that the fire is contained but not out and the danger is still very real because the air is excessively dry this summer and because of strong winds in that area. Temperatures of 40 degrees expected today.
Now, we heard two of Irish holidaymakers who were in campsites. They had just arrived. Everything was fine. And within an hour, they were told to run. And they did so with only their passports. This is Naomi O'Leary's reporting today in the Irish Times. Have you heard those stories across the region?
There have been quite a number of people who've been taken by surprise, who thought, it's farther over, I'll be okay. But the winds change. The local wind there, the Tramontane, can whip up very quickly and can move. And the local authorities have been saying, please, if you were thinking of camping, don't, because that's particularly dangerous. And if you don't know the area well... please stay away because it's just too risky. And because also then police are going looking for people who may have gone hiking who just don't know the area. Yesterday for the Tour de France, they asked the public to stay away as the third stage came over the mountains from Spain through the Pyrenees into France. And they just banned all the entourage cars, etc.
And asked people, please just stay away. We have enough to deal with.
I'm conscious that people will be listening to this who may be planning their holidays or on their way in the next few days.
How are authorities responding to the wildfires in France?
Exactly what region are we talking about? Can you explain it to us, Elaine?
Well, it's down in the Pyrenees between Spain and France in the area near Spain. the Mediterranean side, so very near Perpignan, if people were thinking of flying in there. That's where the wildfires are off now. But there have also been wildfires a little farther over in the Gers and near in the Gard, rather, so farther east. And with almost the entire country under an orange warning for heatwave now, it's definitely getting worse. And I've spoken to climatologists who say, this is the pattern. We are going to see more heatwaves, more intense, and they will last longer. So it's It's going to be a very hot summer wherever you want to go in France. In the June heatwave, Brittany was hotter than the Riviera.
So it's hard to predict how it will be.
And the outlook then for the next couple of days, you know, we are expecting this heatwave. But is there any sort of respite coming, according to the forecasters?
Not for a while, not unless you're in northern France for the moment, but it's going to last through the weekend. Temperatures going up across the country and hitting 41 degrees in some places and even... As I say, even in the north, it can be very hot. And so, yeah, we're looking at an extended heat wave. And that's something that the local authorities are certainly concerned about because it's hard to predict how much they can do. And also things like there are so many voluntary firefighters and the authorities are asking companies who employ these voluntary firefighters to please let them go so they can go and battle the fires rather than be at work.
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