Firefighters in northeastern Spain are struggling to contain a wildfire that has ripped through an area the size of San Francisco, forcing the evacuation of over 1,000 people. The wildfire, which has burned over 12,000 hectares, is one of several affecting Europe as the continent experiences successive heatwaves.

Heatwaves and Droughts

The recent heatwaves, which many scientists blame on human-driven climate change, have pushed temperatures to unprecedented levels in large swathes of Europe, causing water shortages, crop damage, and thousands of excess deaths. In France, a drought has worsened day after day since the end of May, with high temperatures expected to be mostly confined to the southeast by the weekend.

In Germany, shallow water on the key Rhine River has hindered shipping, leading to rising transport costs, though rain has helped bump up levels. The World Health Organization has warned that Europe could face “more deadly weeks ahead” from new heatwaves forming over the Atlantic.

Storms and Wildfires

As the heat receded, giving way to violent storms in some places, two people died in central and eastern France and one in Germany’s southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg as a result of falling trees or a lightning strike. A “supercell” thunderstorm brought strong winds and hailstones measuring up to 5 cm, with drivers seeking shelter under a motorway bridge outside Stuttgart due to the hail.

Firefighters were also tackling wildfires near Madrid and in Guadalajara province, where around 1,500 hectares have burned and a summer camp was evacuated as a precaution. The wildfires are a major concern, with Spain’s weather agency warning of an extreme wildfire risk as hot, dry air from North Africa advances across much of the country.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.