Southern Europe is groaning under an extreme heat wave. Forest fires broke out in France and Turkey. Several neighborhoods in Izmir were evacuated, and a nuclear power plant in France had to be shut down.

A massive heat wave continues to grip large parts of southern Europe: From Portugal to Turkey, people are suffering from extreme temperatures. Spain reported a new June heat record of 46 degrees Celsius in Huelva, and in Mora, Portugal, the thermometer even climbed to 46.6 degrees.

The risk of forest fires is also high in many places. Numerous fires have already broken out in France and Turkey, and experts fear further fires.

Several neighborhoods in the Turkish province of İzmir evacuated

According to the civil protection agency, more than 50,000 people had been evacuated from forest and bush fires in Turkey by Monday. 41 municipalities were affected by the evacuations, the civil protection agency said.

In the western province of Izmir alone, around 1,000 firefighters, including 14 helicopters, battled a forest fire that broke out the previous day. Television images showed residential buildings burned to the ground; according to authorities, more than 130 residential buildings in Izmir were damaged by the fire.

More than 60 other residential buildings were reportedly damaged in the province of Bilecik. According to media reports, a fire also broke out near the city center of Hatay in the southeast of the country on Monday, prompting residents to flee in panic.

Forest fires in southern France

In France, heat warnings are in effect for 84 of the 95 mainland departments."We've never had this before," said Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher. Only the English Channel coast and the border region with Belgium and Germany remain spared for the time being. Companies have been called upon to protect their employees as best they can, and around 200 schools across the country have remained closed due to the extreme heat.

According to authorities, a total of 400 hectares of land burned in bushfires in the southwest of the country. The famous Fontfroide Abbey southwest of the city of Narbonne and a nearby campsite were evacuated as a precaution. More than 150 firefighters were deployed. A section of the highway between Toulouse and Narbonne had to be temporarily closed in both directions. Volunteers distributed water to drivers stuck in traffic in the scorching heat.

Nuclear power plant in France shut down due to heat

A total of seven fires were triggered, Prefect Christian Pouget told BFMTV. The reason may have been that a person was transporting a barbecue in a trailer that contained unextinguished embers. These embers flew out along the road. Other authorities say the fires may have been caused by sparks from a trailer wheel brake.

Due to the extreme heat, a reactor at the Golfech nuclear power plant in southwestern France was also shut down. The reason for this was the high water temperature in the Garonne River, according to the operator, EDF. Cooling water for the reactor is pumped from the Garonne and then returned to the river, warmed by around 0.2 degrees Celsius. If the river is already too hot due to the air temperatures, the power plant is no longer allowed to draw cooling water and must reduce operations or shut down completely.

Mediterranean warmer than ever in June

The Mediterranean is also heating up unusually early in the year: with an average of 26.01 degrees on Sunday, the water was warmer than ever before in June, according to the French weather service.

According to meteorologist Thibault Guinaldo from the CEMS research center in Brittany, the average water temperature in the Mediterranean is currently three degrees higher than the usual values for the season between 1991 and 2020, and even up to four degrees higher on the French and Spanish coasts.

Heatwave in Italy and Spain

Italy again issued heat warnings for 17 cities across the country. Ambulances were stationed near major landmarks in Rome to provide care to those affected as quickly as possible. The Emergency Medical Association reported a ten percent increase in patients suffering from heatstroke.

The Spanish Meteorological Service reported the highest temperature ever recorded in June: It was recorded on Saturday in Huelva in the south of the country, and at 46 degrees Celsius, it surpassed the previous record, which was set in Seville in 1965 at 45.2 degrees.

North Macedonia tightens access to forests

Due to increased fire risk, North Macedonia has imposed strict access restrictions on its forests, according to local media. From July 1 to August 31, forest areas may only be entered with a permit. Violators face a fine of up to €2,000.

According to a report by Slobodna Evropa (Radio Free Europe), all areas under the supervision of the State Forestry Agency are affected. The agency referred on its Facebook page to a corresponding application, which the responsible ministry in Skopje had approved.

Forestry workers and security forces are exempt from the two-month ban. According to the report, North Macedonia recorded a record number of wildfire incidents last year.