On Saturday, France and Spain faced several hard-to-control fires that forced thousands of people to evacuate.
In Spain, more than 3,000 people were evacuated from two municipalities, Alhaurín el Grande and Alhaurín de la Torre, preemptively due to a fire that hit the region, namely Sierra de Mijas, in Málaga, in southern Spain.
The affected municipalities have set up the Alhaurín El Grande Municipal Pavilion and the El Limón Sports Center in Alhaurín de la Torre as temporary shelters for those who cannot go to the homes of family or friends.
The lack of visibility due to the thick plume of smoke did not facilitate the fight against the fire, which made it impossible to use air resources. Initially, only three helicopters were used, according to a spokesperson for Plano Infoca (Andalusia Forest Fire Service) news agency EFE.
In France, at least 14,000 people were evacuated and about 9,150 hectares of forest burned in two fires that broke out on Tuesday in the Gironde province, of which Bordeaux is the capital, while more than 1,200 firefighters struggled to control the flames, regional officials said in a statement.
The French authorities said, on Saturday, on the social network Twitter, that the fire that broke out in the city of Landeras, southeast of Bordeaux, burned more than a thousand hectares on Friday night, with a total of about six thousand hectares.
This Saturday, the situation was still not under control and everything indicated that it was an arson.
In another fire, in La Teste de Buch, the burned area has remained stable in the last hours, with 3,150 hectares of forest burned since Tuesday.
About 1,000 firefighters are trying to put out the two blazes, after they were helped on Friday by three Kinder naval aircraft and a Dash water-propelled grenade launcher. In addition to the physical damage that included many homes and buildings that were gutted by the fire, there are currently no casualties to report.
In England, rising temperatures since the start of the week have caused a race for fans, air conditioners and hotel rooms. The publication of recommendations for dealing with the heat doubles, there are newspapers that calculate the costs that consumers can incur if they keep equipment overnight, and there are also those who reveal where equipment can be purchased with less time delivery. 24 hours.
Already the newspaper telegraph I noticed that people, eager to stay cool during a heat wave, book air-conditioned hotel rooms.
With the first red alert for extreme heat issued early next week, ministers and other British government officials met on Saturday afternoon in a state of emergency.
to me WatchmanThe Cobra Meeting, as it is popularly known, was to be chaired by Minister Kate Malthouse. Until 19:00, the results of this meeting were not yet known.
But there are already some recommendations. For example, Londoners have been instructed to avoid commuting on the following Monday and Tuesday.
“Due to the exceptionally hot weather expected next week, customers should only use the London transport network for essential travel,” said Andy Lord, COO of Transport for London.
The same official also said that some restrictions were expected in transportation, especially in the metro and train, due to the temporary restrictions on their speed.
The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 38.7 degrees in 2019 in Cambridge. For the first time there are predictions that thermometers can reach 40.
Charlotte Whitmore is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a broad range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and practical information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the UK and beyond.