EU sends water bombers to battle Greece wildfires as Rome shatters temperature record

The European Union sent 4 Canadair h2o bombers to assistance Greece combat wildfires that person been raging for a 3rd time connected Wednesday, portion authorities warned of different bonzer heatwave.

It comes arsenic scorching heat continues to grip confederate Europe, with temperatures successful Spain, France and Italy climbing to caller grounds highs.

Italy's superior of Rome recorded its hottest time ever connected Tuesday, arsenic temperatures successful the metropolis halfway roseate to a staggering 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.24 Fahrenheit) — surpassing the erstwhile grounds of 40.7 degrees Celsius registered successful June past year.

Mercury levels successful Girona successful Spain's Catalonia portion hit a grounds 45 degrees Celsius, portion temperatures successful Verdun successful northeast France reached 40.6 degrees Celsius for the archetypal time.

Europe's hottest-ever recorded somesthesia is believed to person been 48.8 degrees Celsius, logged adjacent the past metropolis of Syracuse connected the seashore of Sicily successful August 2021.

The World Meteorological Organization believes this grounds could soon beryllium broken, arsenic the heatwave is expected to intensify.

It comes soon aft the planet registered its hottest time since records began for the 3rd clip successful conscionable 4 days earlier this month, portion some the U.S. and China saw temperatures ascent supra 50 degrees Celsius successful caller days.

Climate scientists accidental the caller spate of planetary vigor records underlines the increasing urgency to slash greenhouse state emissions arsenic rapidly and arsenic profoundly arsenic possible.

In Greece, exigency workers continued to effort to incorporate wildfires raging adjacent Athens, with Reuters reporting connected Wednesday that aerial h2o bombers were deployed implicit the towns of Mandra, an outer suburb to the westbound of the capital, and Loutraki, a seaside edifice adjacent to the Corinth canal that separates mainland Greece from the Peloponnese.

Strong winds successful caller days person hindered firefighters' efforts to bring the flames nether control.

The European Commission Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid said via Twitter connected Tuesday that Greece had requested the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism — a strategy designed to enactment countries stricken by earthy disasters.

In response, the EU said it had deployed 4 Canadair h2o bombers from its fleet based successful France and Italy to conflict the wildfires ravaging Greece's occidental Attica region. The bloc besides sent firefighters based successful Romania.

In a abstracted update connected Wednesday, the EU said it had sent a full of 220 firefighters and 65 vehicles to incorporate the tens of wildfires spreading crossed Greece.

"We are experiencing a heatwave crossed Southern Europe already causing devastating consequences successful Greece, with thousands of hectares burned successful a abbreviated play of time," EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said successful a statement.

"It is important to proceed to put successful prevention and to heighten the wildfire hazard consciousness of the population," Lenarčič said.

Winds fanning the fires, according to the Greek meteorological service, were apt to intensify connected Wednesday earlier abating connected Thursday erstwhile temperatures — fueled by a caller heatwave — are acceptable to emergence further.

Temperatures successful the Ionian islands and successful the occidental mainland of Greece were predicted to scope 40 degrees Celsius connected Wednesday.

The Hellenic National Meteorological Service said temperatures would prime up further from Thursday, with highest temperatures of astir 43 degrees Celsius successful the occidental Sterea and successful the occidental Peloponnese regions.