Brussels, Europe and the Arabs
Weather madness.. This is what we can call what several European countries are witnessing at the present time, where the population suffers from frequent changes in the weather, and after the situation stabilizes for several days in the presence of the sun, rain falls and any plans to enjoy the summer on the beaches are canceled, which prompted a number of Europeans, especially... In Belgium, they decided to buy last-minute tickets, which are sold shortly before take-off at low prices. The Brussels Newspaper Newspaper said that the purchase of these tickets had doubled significantly after repeated rains, and those fleeing the unstable weather in Europe chose several countries to travel to, including Turkey, Egypt and Greece. In search of sun and heat
Yesterday, severe thunderstorms caused serious damage in southern France, where many Flemish people are on holiday. In some places, snowflakes up to six centimeters in size fell from the sky. On cars and smashed their windows.
Train movement is still not possible in many places in the southern Ardèche. The storm made the railway lines unusable. In some streets, almost every roof is damaged. Residents say that the sky suddenly turned black and water poured from the sky. “The streets have turned into raging rivers.”
Saint-Martin-en-Vercors, in Drôme County, looks like a disaster area hours after the storm. Mudslides made streets inaccessible, roofs were literally blown off, and trees were snapped as if they were matches. “We've never seen this here before,” residents say.
European countries are witnessing worrying weather trends, which divided the European continent into two halves in July. The north is witnessing heavy rains and floods, while the south is facing severe heat waves and forest fires. Experts called on European leaders to come up with quick solutions.
In Belgium alone, June was the ninth month in a row in which it rained more than usual, a new record for the country, and the worst in 119 years. In mid-June, rain that had been falling for a month fell in one week, causing floods. In several regions.
It was also a much less sunny month than a normal June, a sentiment shared across much of northern Europe, where temperatures are still struggling to break the 20 degree mark in many places.
While residents of the North continue to wait for the start of a typical summer, countries of the South and East face their own problems.
The latest report from the European Union's meteorological service Copernicus, the EU's climate observatory, clearly shows that June was warmer across the globe than any previous June based on its historical data.
In fact, it was the 13th straight month in which heat records were broken, as sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic rose to their highest levels in more than 40 years.
Between July 2023 and June 2024, this was the warmest year on record, with temperatures reaching 0.76 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and another 1.64 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
In the south, extreme temperatures caused heat waves and forest fires, and there are countries that declared emergencies and activated the red alert, and at the forefront is Italy, where the authorities declared a state of emergency and activated the red alert, due to temperatures that can exceed 40 degrees Celsius, according to Al Messaggero newspaper. Italian.
On the islands of Sicily, which is suffering from a serious drought, and Sardinia, the maximum temperatures will range between 42 and 43 degrees during the next few hours, according to the thermal bulletins that the Ministry of Health updates daily.
The African cyclone, which led to a significant rise in temperatures this week, will have a particular impact on the cities of Bologna, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Trieste and Viterbo, where thermometers will record maximums between 34 degrees. And 40 degrees.
In Spain, the Meteorological Agency warned Emmett of extreme heat in Spain, as temperatures will exceed 40 degrees Celsius, and the temperatures will also affect the Canary Islands.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency also warned of the high risk of forest fires in large areas of the country, due to extreme heat and dry conditions, and advised residents to take maximum precautions.
Areas in Greece, Cyprus and Turkey have already suffered from extreme heat, with temperatures in some places exceeding 10 degrees above the seasonal average. These extreme temperatures have caused the death of many people, including six foreign tourists who were found dead this year in Greece after going on a trip, and many others have disappeared in similar circumstances.
Scorching temperatures accompanied by strong winds led to the outbreak of forest fires near the Greek capital, Athens, and in the Turkish region of Izmir, residents and vacationers were forced to evacuate their homes.
In France, just weeks before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, organizers are concerned about the safety of athletes, due to possible record temperatures.
Therefore, they allow portable air conditioning units to ensure that their environments stay somewhat cooler.
Decrease in the number of tourists
One of the most prominent repercussions of rising temperatures is the decline in the number of tourists to southern Europe, and the European Travel Committee reported that the number of tourists heading to southern Europe has decreased by 10% since 2022, as concerns about climate and weather begin to penetrate people.
The European Travel Committee said that extreme weather and transport disruptions pose “major concerns for 10% of Europeans.“Those who are keen to travel in the coming months.”
The European countries located in the south also witnessed an increase in the number of weather victims, as the severe weather conditions in Europe claimed the lives of at least seven people due to the storms that struck Switzerland, France, and northern Italy.
At the beginning of the month, the bodies of three people were recovered after a landslide in the Fontana area in the Magia Valley, south of the Swiss Alps. It is believed that the rise of the river surprised a man whose body was found in a hotel in the Saas-Grund resort in the Alps.
Experts warn that European leaders must quickly address worrying weather trends across the continent.