With Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, the last federal states will start their summer holidays at the weekend. Pupils in all federal states will then be free until August 9th. So for many, it’s time to go on vacation!
But news about burning forests due to drought or heat waves in holiday destinations has worried many people recently. While the situation in France and Spain has meanwhile eased, things continue to look critical in Greece. An overview.
1. France
In Germany’s western neighbor it has cooled down a bit again, the heat wave is largely over. Temperatures of around 25 degrees are expected in many parts of the country in the coming days. On the Mediterranean coast, holidaymakers can also look forward to 30 degrees and slightly more.
However, caution is still required in forests. It is still dry in many areas of France. Forest fires break out again and again. However, the large fires south of Bordeaux are under control and the popular Dune du Pilat, close to one of the fires, is said to be accessible again.
2. Greece
According to meteorologists, very high temperatures and drought will prevail there at least until the beginning of August. Locally, the thermometer can climb to over 40 degrees. The forest fire risk is currently assessed by the fire brigade as high to very high in large parts of the country.
Holiday islands are also affected – it recently burned on Lesbos, Crete and Samos. In the southern Aegean, it is primarily the winds that are typical of the time of year that fuel and drive the fires further. The authorities are calling for everyone to refrain from handling fire, embers and sparks outdoors.
If there is an acute danger and a town has to be evacuated, people receive a warning SMS – including tourists from abroad, provided they have a smartphone.
3. Spain and Portugal
After long heat waves and a series of devastating forest fires, the two holiday countries are currently experiencing quieter days. In Spain there were only a few smaller fires on Tuesday evening, in Portugal the last major forest fire in Silves in the south of the country was brought under control on Tuesday morning.
For the coming days, the Spanish weather service Aemet only issued the (lowest) yellow heat warning level for a few regions. The Balearic Islands with the Germans’ favorite holiday island Mallorca are not one of them – but it will not be cool there: At “Ballermann” on Playa de Palma, for example, the maximum temperatures should fluctuate between 31 and 34 degrees in the next ten days. The mercury column should not fall below 23 degrees, even at night.
4. Italy
storm in the north and sweltering heat in the south – such are the prospects on the boot. After Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto went through a month-long record drought with many forest fires, rain, hail and storms are now keeping the fire brigade in suspense.
Damage was reported on Tuesday from the northeastern province of Pordenone, the Alpine province of Sondrio, the province of Cuneo in Piedmont and Pavia in Lombardy, among others. According to the website iL.meteo.it, the reason for the violent storms is the influx of colder air that mixes with the hot air on site. It will remain rainy in the north up to and including Friday.
The African heat, on the other hand, prevails further south with temperatures up to 40 degrees in Apulia and Sicily. In the Dolomites, the authorities warned of new dangers on the Marmolada, where eleven people died when a glacier broke off on July 3rd. The exclusion zone on the highest mountain in the Dolomites has been extended.
5. Croatia
It is hot and very dry in the popular holiday destination on the Adriatic. Temperatures around 30 to 33 degrees are measured on the coast, and according to the forecasts, it should stay that way for the next few days. No major forest fires are currently making headlines.
Due to the persistent drought, there is a risk of fire almost everywhere and always. Smaller, local fires are usually quickly brought under control by the emergency services. The sea is unusually warm at the moment. In the northern section of the Adriatic, jellyfish were increasingly noticeable.
6. Slovenia
With its only 46 km long Adriatic coast, the country on the southern edge of the Alps is not only a destination for bathers, but also for nature lovers and hikers.
One of their target areas, the Slovenian Karst, was the scene of what is probably the worst major fire in the country’s history until last Sunday. The emergency services are currently still fighting smaller residual fires. Basically, they are concerned about the persistent drought.