The summer of 2023 puts the shores of the Mediterranean to the test of climate change. Violent fires have hit the countries around the Mediterranean causing many deaths and significant damage, in a context of particularly difficult heat wave in southern Europe. Greece expected Tuesday, July 25 maximum temperatures of 44 ° C and strong winds, conducive to the spread of fires. In France, 320 firefighters are mobilized on fires in Arles and Velaux (Bouches-du-Rhône), said the police officers of the department, on Twitter. In the early evening, these fires were “fixed”, according to this same source. Météo France placed the Bouches-du-Rhône department at the highest level of vigilance on Monday. Follow our live.
23 forest areas prohibited in the Bouches-du-Rhône. The Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture announced in a press release on Tuesday that it would prohibit access to 23 forest areas in the department for Wednesday, due to the risk of fire. And this while the department has gone from red vigilance to orange forest fire vigilance. Of the 25 forest massifs in the department, only the Concors and Trévaresse massifs are accessible, although work there is prohibited from 1 p.m.
Three victims on the Greek island of Euboea. The charred body of a man has been found on the island of Euvée, Greek police have announced. Earlier in the day,two pilots of a Canadair-type water bomber perished in the crash of their plane, while fighting against one of the violent fires ravaging the island. In the grip of a particularly intense heat wave, Greece is facing many devastating fires: dOn Sunday, 32,500 people were evacuated from the islands of Rhodes and Corfu, while many parts of the country remain “on red alert”that is to say in “extreme danger” forest fires, with temperatures reaching 44°C.
• At least 34 dead in Algeria since Sunday. For the third year in a row, the north and east of the country have been hit by gigantic deadly forest fires, which are getting worse under the effect of climate change. Since Sunday, nearly 100 fires have affected more than 15 prefectures in the country. On Tuesday, the firefighters managed to put out 80% of them, but the human toll is heavy: 34 dead and significant destruction in many villages as well as seaside resorts on the coast destroyed by the flames.
• Evacuations in Tunisia. In the border area of Tabarka, between Tunisia and Algeria, fires broke out on Monday, a week after the flames had already ravaged the region. More than 300 inhabitants had to be evacuated, by sea or by land, to the village of Melloula. On Tuesday, other fires continued in three areas in the northwest of the country, Bizerte, Siliana and Beja.
Fire-stricken Sicily is experiencing extreme temperatures. As bad weather hits northern Italy, the south of the east has been hit by a heat wave with a temperature of 47.6°C recorded Monday in Catania, Sicily, according to local Civil Protection. Sicilian firefighters also fought overnight from Monday to Tuesday against several fires, one of which happened near Palermo airport, which was closed for several hours in the morning. Rail transport is also affected by these fires.