While Southern Europe is no stranger to warm summer weather, 2021 has brought about sweltering conditions and record-setting temperatures that have led to a heat emergency. The record-breaking heat is causing havoc across several countries, including Greece, which marked its hottest day ever recorded on Monday, registering an unbelievable 46.3 degrees Celsius in Phthiotis (central Greece).
The heat has not only become unbearable for many in Southern Europe, but it has now caused many massive forest fires, creating serious threats to public safety.
The Most Gruelling Heat Wave in Decades
The current heatwave that Greece is going through is the worst in decades, with 1987 being the last time the heat was so oppressive. That heatwave caused over 1,000 deaths and lasted 10 straight days. The highest temperature recorded during that period was 43.88 degrees Celsius.
With temperatures soaring, it has put real stress on the electricity supply, which prompted Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to ask people to limit electricity use as much as possible during the high-use times of the afternoon and evening. There is fear that over-stressing the electricity supply could lead to blackouts/shutdowns.
Many scientists are attributing the heatwave to climate change and its effect on the world as a whole. Europe is no stranger to heatwaves, as it seems to have become more and more common over the past few years.
The only good news for those in Greece is that it is predicted to break after Friday, but that will have marked 11 straight days of sweltering temperatures.
The Heat Prompts Calls for People in Greece to Stay Indoors
Besides the stress on the electricity grid, officials in Greece were also asking that pregnant women and seniors stay at home indoors and stay cool. Cooling centres were also opened up for those experiencing homelessness.
Even local tourist attractions and cultural sites were forced to react to the extreme heat, with some closing during the hottest part of the day. Many areas that are known as hubs for tourists and locals were unusually quiet all week as people chose to listen to advice from officials and remain at home and/or indoors.
Major Fires Also Became an Issue
While the heatwave is cause enough for concern, public safety also became threatened thanks to a forest fire at the base of Mount Parnitha. Firefighters raced to the scene, making sure to help people evacuate their homes safely, and then close off the area to traffic. Greece has said that there are dozens of fires that were reported each day.
And while the fires in Greece were certainly concerning, it was Turkey that experienced the worst in terms of blazes this week.
Turkey Endures Many Days of Massive Wildfires
Turkey has been dealing with its weather emergencies this week which have resulted in six straight days of massive wildfires. Firefighters have been working non-stop to try to get the blazes under control and put them out. The fires are located on the southern coast and were so expansive that tens of thousands of people were evacuated from the area. Even a power plant was dangerously close to the fires, which could have been another disaster.
So far there have been eight deaths reported relating to the fires, and huge amounts of forestland have now been burnt and ruined. The weather has been so hot and dry that wind spread the fires further, creating even more of a disaster.
Turkey’s emergency resources have been spread thin trying to battle the fires and, in response, water-dropping aircraft were sent in to help from the European Union. Turkey also ended up turning to Russia for assistance, hiring planes that could fight the fires. While this drew a lot of criticism, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded by saying that Turkey simply didn’t have the planes needed to put out the fires.
And it was just last week that wildfires swept across Spain and Sardinia which were destructive and devastating.
Wildfires Creating Smoke Pollution
Besides the devastation that they cause, wildfires also lead to smoke pollution that can build in the atmosphere. This was exactly what the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has warned is happening right now. It called the entire Mediterranean region a “wildfire hotspot”.
Other Countries Issue Heat Warnings
The record heat has also caused several other countries to issue heat warnings this week, which includes Serbia, Romania, Italy, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This accounts for a large portion of Europe that is currently sweltering from the heat.
Putting the Focus on Public Safety and Disaster Management
Since these types of freak weather events are happening on a more regular basis, it has brought public safety and disaster management to the forefront. What used to be a rare event that only occurred once in a decade or every few decades, is happening frequently now and causing countries to look more closely at what they can do from a preventative standpoint, and how to best combat these weather issues when they do arise.
Here at home in Canada, weather has been wreaking havoc on the west coast, which in July saw record high temperatures and then experienced some wildfires. These weather events make it very clear why public safety officials and experts are so important, and why they are needed in these times. Programs like the MPS online course through Wilfrid Laurier University can help to train the firefighters and public safety officials that will no doubt play an important role in keeping Canadians safe now and during future weather emergencies.
These Weather Events Could Be the New Normal
There have been plenty of scientists and researchers that have been warning about climate change for years, but now that these weather events are happening on a more wide-scale and frequent basis, this could be the turning point for many in the public. These seemingly freak events may end up being the new normal that countries all over the world will be contending with. The idea of never-ending cycles of forest fires and deadly heatwaves is concerning to say the least.
