2,000 dead: Europe set for record forest loss as fires rage

More than 2,000 people have died in Spain and Portugal in recent weeks amid record-breaking temperatures, accompanied by massive wildfires that have forced thousands of people to flee their homes. 

The ongoing heat wave that has engulfed the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Portugal, could last several weeks, according to experts, even as efforts are underway to put out the fires in several European countries.  

More than 1.3 million acres of forest land in Spain, France, and Portugal have been burned by wildfires, with experts warning that the worst is yet to come.

In UK and France, a red alert has been issued due to the extreme heat wave. This is the second heat wave in Western Europe in less than a month.

An emergency means that the situation is so acute that healthy and vulnerable people may get sick or die. A red alert also means widespread disruption to health services, schools, and even nuclear power plants.

According to Spain's Carlos III Institute, a total of 1,047 deaths in the country were reported due to soaring temperatures between July 10 and July 19.

Portugal's director-general of health was quoted as saying by Reuters Tuesday that 1,063 heat-related deaths had occurred from July 7 to July 18.

Scientists and politicians consider this emergency directly related to climate change.

“The situation is much worse than expected, even if we were expecting temperature anomalies with our long-term forecasts,” Jesus San Miguel, coordinator of the European Union’s EFFIS satellite monitoring service, was quoted as saying by AFP.

San Miguel said there could be worse to come, adding that the hallmarks of global heating were all over this year’s fire season.

The record for the highest temperature in England in 2019 was 38.7 degrees Celsius, and temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius will be set for the first time on Monday and Tuesday as a new record.

UK Met Office Director Paul Davies warned on Monday that temperatures reaching 41 degrees Celsius would be "really worrying".

UK officials said the country's transportation system will be disrupted on Monday and Tuesday, urging people not to travel as much as possible. Health guidelines have been also issued for schools to ensure the health of students.

In Spain, more than 500 people died during a 10-day heat wave this month, and according to the country's authorities, more than 800 people died last month due to the extreme heat that hit the European continent.

On Sunday, the temperature in Madrid reached 39 degrees Celsius and in some parts of eastern Spain, it reached more than 43 degrees Celsius.

EFFIS said that Europe could end 2022 with more land burned by area than 2017, currently the worst recorded year for wildfires with 2.47 million acres lost.

Mark Parrington, the head scientist at the EU’s Copernicus atmospheric monitoring service, said climate change had already contributed to how long wildfires last when they break out.

“What is remarkable is just how long they burn,” he said. “This is not the kind of thing we typically see in Europe.”

Hotter temperatures combined with near-unprecedented drought conditions across much of Europe contribute to making forests tinder dry, providing the ideal conditions for wildfires to start and then spread.

“There is a lot of fuel,” said Parrington. “In central and southern Europe there is a clear upward trend for fire risk.”

Climate scientists say the next decade will be defined by greater weather extremes but the fear is it will also be shaped by humanity’s collective failure to do more.

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