British tourists face scorching 40C heatwave at top holiday destinations with ‘extreme wildfire’ warnings across southern Europe as firefighters battle blazes in Spain, Italy and Greece

British tourists face a scorching 40C heatwave at some of Europe’s top holiday destinations as wildfire warnings are issued across southern Europe.

Weather service AEMET predicted maximum temperatures of 43-44C in parts of Spain on Wednesday, which is expected to be the peak day of a heatwave.

Mallorca, the popular Spanish holiday destination for thousands of Brits, could be seeing highs of 41C in the shade, according to forecasts.

The heatwave across southern Europe, which also affects Italy and Greece, brings an increased danger of wildfires, with authorities warning of a very high or extreme risk of wildfires.

Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters backed up by waterbomber aircraft sought to contain two large wildfires that have raged since Tuesday in eastern Spain.

ITALY: A child dives into the sea during a heatwave in Naples as temperatures reached 40C

FRANCE: People use a water fountain and sprinkler to cool down before attending the Paris 2024 Olympic Games near the Eiffel Tower on July 30

GREECE: A firefighter tries to tackle a wildfire burning near the village of Petries on the island of Evia on July 30

NORTH MACEDONIA: A wildfire rages near Kumanovo, North Macedonia, on July 30

ITALY: A wildfire in Montemario caused several residents to be evacuated on July 31

A blaze in Benasau in the eastern region of Valencia forced emergency services to remove several hundred villagers from their homes as a precaution when it broke out in nearby hills.

Firefighters said the ‘fire is evolving favourably’ following all-night efforts.

Another one, in the province of Cuenca more inland, has burnt through more than 1,500 hectares of vegetation since Tuesday. Both blazes have been qualified as severe.

AEMET said that the Barcelona-Fabra observatory in the northeastern region of Catalonia registered an all-time high temperature of 40C on Tuesday, beating its previous record of 39.8 C set in July 1982. 

This is the third heatwave in Spain in just 12 days. 

Rising global temperatures due to climate change have also contributed to more frequent wildfires elsewhere – from China to Canada. In Europe, they are also raging in the Balkans region.

Firefighters in North Macedonia fought a dozen wildfires fanned by heavy winds for a third day today and hot temperatures and dry weather also fueled smaller blazes across the Balkans, officials said.

One fire was spreading in the municipality of Negrevo near the Bulgarian border and another around Kumanovo near Serbia, said Goran Stojanovski at North Macedonia’s centre for crisis management.

‘Because of the high temperatures, the vegetation is dry and the soil is very hot, which is making our work more difficult,’ he said.

North Macedonia’s emergency center chief Stojanche Angelov said that if the situation worsens further the government should ask NATO to help after it sought European Union assistance on Tuesday.

‘At this moment there is no need, but the assistance might be needed later today,’ Angelov said.

North Macedonia’s southerly neighbour Greece has long struggled with wildfires caused by rising temperatures and sporadic rainfall that scientists link to climate change.

A series of blazes also started further north across the Balkans this week following weeks of heat and little rain. On the western side of mainland Europe, firefighters in Spain are also battling wildfires amid extreme heat.

Roads, fields and houses were covered with smoke near the central town of Stip, 62 miles east of North Macedonia’s capital Skopje, a Reuters witness said.

ITALY: A pharmacy’s signboard displays the temperature (40C) in Naples on July 30

SPAIN: A map shows the predicted temperatures in Mallorca on Wednesday, July 31

SPAIN: firefighting plane drops water to cool the perimeter area of the Benasau forest fire in Alicante on July 31

ALBANIA: Members of emergency services work to contain a wildfire in Shengjin on July 30

SPAIN: Three young women use fans to cool off and protect themselves from the sun in Valencia on July 30

The heatwave across southern Europe, which also affects Italy and Greece, brings an increased danger of wildfires, with authorities warning of a very high or extreme risk of wildfires (areas in red marked as ‘very high’ or ‘extreme’ danger of wildfires

NORTH MACEDONIA: A wildfire next to the village of Kokosinjac, near Sveti Nikole on July 30

ITALY: People sunbathe at sea during a heatwave in Naples on July 30

GREECE: Firefighters look at a wildfire burning near the village of Petries on the island of Evia, July 29

ITALY: People refresh themselves with mini fans by the Trevi fountain during a sultry day in Rome on July 29

The extent of the damage nationwide is unclear. Fires earlier in the week burned dozens of homes and killed one elderly man.

Stojanovski said that out of 66 active fires on Tuesday, 12 were not yet under control on Wednesday. A helicopter came from Serbia to help while Germany and Czech Republic have offered to provide aircraft.

In neighbouring Albania, the coastal tourist town of Shengjin, some 45 miles northwest of the capital of Tirana, was evacuated on Tuesday as fires encroached, forcing some tourists to leave hastily in cars and buses. 

Albania is currently receiving international firefighting assistance through an EU support system. 

Fire chief Arben Cara said military assistance had been requested to provide water-dropping helicopters, while soldiers and firefighters from other parts of the country were also helping. 

Fires were still burning there on Wednesday but appeared to be under control, a Reuters witness said.

In Croatia, firefighters were battling a blaze near the coastal town of Tucepi overnight. 

A strong wind that blew throughout the night made it harder to combat the raging blaze stretching for several miles along the country’s southern coast.

Croatian state broadcaster HRT said residents in the area went through a sleepless night, some had to evacuate their homes while power supplies were cut and several explosions could be heard, apparently from gas canisters. 

Photos from the scene showed a blazing skyline and firefighting planes flying over.

Local official Ante Cobanic said he tried to help extinguish a small fire before it suddenly spread in the space of five minutes. ‘The speed was incredible,’ he said.

The fire was under control by mid-morning Wednesday with all emergency forces still on alert.

ITALY: People sunbathe at sea during a heatwave in Naples on July 30

ALBANIA: Members of emergency services work to contain a wildfire in Shengjin on July 30

ITALY: A wildfire in Sardinia is stretching along large swathes of a forest on July 30

FRANCE: People cool down under the bridge at the Seine river during heatwave on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at on July 30 in Paris

NORTH MACEDONIA: A forest fire rages near Kumanovo on July 30

GREECE: In this aerial view, vacationers stretch out on lounge chairs on July 28, 2024 in Parga

SPAIN: A woman uses a fan to cool herself in San Sebastian on July 30

ALBANIA: Emergency services work to contain a wildfire in Shengjin on July 30

ITALY: People cool off at a fountain during a sultry day in Rome on July 29

ITALY: A view of a large fire that broke out near the Judicial City of Piazzale Clodio in Rome on July 31

Further north, near the town of Sibenik, firefighters struggled to prevent the blaze from reaching Krka National Park, a major tourist destination and a nature reserve known for its stunning waterfalls. 

The park remained open for visitors on Wednesday and thanked firefighters and residents for helping defend it.

At a mountainous stretch of the Greece-Bulgaria border, firefighters relied on air support to douse the flames of a fire that has been burning low-lying vegetation since July 18.

Ground forces cannot reach the area because of land mines from past conflicts, said Greek fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis.

Firefighters and local authorities have used diggers to build fire break zones around villages, he said.

On the Greek island of Evia, which is near Athens, residents were ordered to evacuate due to a wildfire. 

Meanwhile in Italy, firefighters have been trying to get a large fire that broke out in Sardinia yesterday under control.

They have been trying to keep a blaze in the forest of Pozzomaggiore at bay, which has rapidly taking over large swathes of land and caused emergency services to launch helicopters launching water at the flames.