Extreme Heat Bringing Death, Destruction Across the Globe

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

Extreme weather continues to cause havoc across the world, with large swathes of the Mediterranean, North Africa, Europe, Asia, and the United States battling to control wildfires as people swelter under an intense summer heatwave.

Greece has been particularly hit hard by fires, with authorities evacuating over 20,000 people in recent days from homes and resorts in the south. On Tuesday, two airmen died when their plane crashed while fighting wildfires. The plane, which had been dropping water, came down on a hillside close to the town of Karystos on the Greek island of Evia, east of Athens.

Italy suffered a twin pounding from the elements when severe storms battered the north, killing a woman and a 16-year-old girl scout, from which two died from. In the south, a 98-year-old man also died when fire swept through his home.

"It's a tragedy. Many people say, 'We don't need more heroes, it's enough.' They are so devastated," Greek journalist Alexandra Pascalidou said. "What's happening in Greece is a real nightmare... burning for the eighth day."

"People feel helpless. The only thing is to ask God to help because they feel that no state can help. They are criticizing all the governments over the past decade for not doing enough because this is nothing new. They feel the governments are not investing enough money to protect humans, animals, or nature," she explained.

Record temperatures in China, southern Europe, and the US have sparked forest fires, water shortages, and a rise in heat-related hospital admissions. Without human-induced climate change, the events this month would have been “extremely rare,” according to a study by World Weather Attribution.

The heat – with average temperatures topping 104 Fahrenheit – is well in excess of what usually attracts tourists who flock to southern European beaches. High temperatures and parched ground sparked wildfires in countries on both sides of the Mediterranean.

In North Africa, Algeria was fighting to contain devastating forest fires along its Mediterranean coast in a blaze that has already killed at least 34 people. Fanned by strong winds, fires also forced the closure of two border crossings with neighboring Tunisia.

Wildfires also broke out in the countryside around Syria’s Mediterranean port city, Latakia, with the authorities using army helicopters to try to put them out.