Wildfires and heat waves raged across Europe this summer
People in more temperate areas of Europe were woefully unprepared for the wildfires and record-breaking temperatures this summer. More than 2,800 more people aged 65 and older in England died than usual during that time, according to an October analysis from the U.K. Health Security Agency and the Office for National Statistics. This turned out to be the highest excess death toll caused by high temperatures in almost 20 years, The Guardian reported.
But even regions that are accustomed to hot summers struggled. Spain alone recorded 1,047 deaths linked to record-breaking heat from July 10 to July 19.
The dry and hot conditions also sparked wildfires all over the European Union. In a single week in early July, wildfires cropped up in Greece, Spain, and Portugal. Cities across Italy were also on alert from a series of wildfires. Hundreds of residents in Tuscany had to quickly evacuate after a wildfire caused gas tanks to explode in late July. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, more than 1.9 million acres burned throughout the European Union from the start of this year to November, France24 reported.
