Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Widespread wildfires have swept across southern Europe, destroying thousands of hectares of land and grounding flights, amid a record-breaking heatwave. Brussels media reported that eyewitnesses among Belgian tourists reported that the French coastal city of Marseille was enveloped in an orange glow and thick smoke on Tuesday. A Flemish woman vacationing with her family said: "The whole city smelled of fire, and ash was pouring from the sky." Elsewhere in Europe, serious wildfires are also raging. Belgian newspapers reported, "Fires have been burning for several days in southern France. Initially, evacuations and smoke pollution primarily affected campgrounds and rural areas, but by Tuesday afternoon, it became clear that the coastal city of Marseille and its population of more than 800,000 were threatened by a new blaze.
A forest fire broke out in a municipality near Marseille airport after a car caught fire on the highway. As a result, the airport was also forced to close. In no time, the flames had consumed more than 700 hectares and reached "the nearest gates of the city," according to the mayor. All residents were asked to stay indoors and close their windows and doors. A total of 500 people were evacuated from the suburbs.
French authorities closed Marseille airport on Tuesday afternoon after a fire broke out in the vicinity, halting all takeoffs and landings.
French media reported that the fire was dangerously close to the airport, necessitating the suspension of air traffic as a precaution.
New fires were also recorded near the French-Spanish border, where some 2,000 people were affected. Hectares of land.
The fire started in a vineyard south of Narbonne and spread due to strong winds, which facilitated its rapid spread.
More than 1,000 firefighters worked overnight to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby residential areas.
A similar fire broke out near the city of Tarragona in northeastern Spain, consuming more than 2,300 hectares of agricultural land and forests, according to the TT news agency.
Authorities urged thousands of residents in the surrounding areas to stay indoors, warning that the situation would worsen due to strong winds.
Videos on social media showed thick clouds of smoke rising from the forests, while flames spread rapidly, with winds exceeding 25 meters per second.
Rescue teams revealed that firefighting efforts continued throughout the night, amid difficult weather conditions and extreme heat that hampered control of the blaze. According to what was reported by the European news network in Brussels, "Euronews," the Spanish region of Andalusia recorded record temperatures of 46 degrees Celsius in the town of Grando at the end of June, while the Spanish Meteorological Agency announced The average temperature for June reached 23.6 degrees, surpassing the record set in 2017.
Previously, fast-moving wildfires, driven by strong winds, swept through the southern Greek island of Crete, forcing more than 1,500 people to evacuate their homes and hotels amid harsh weather conditions.
The fire broke out in the Ierapetra region, ravaging forests and farmland. 230 firefighters, including ten aircraft, battled to control the blaze. Rescue teams were able to evacuate two people by boat, while six private vessels were put on standby in case of an emergency.
The raging fires damaged homes, and some residents suffered breathing difficulties that required medical intervention. No serious injuries were reported. At night, flames lit up the sky near the Ferma and Achlia areas, while emergency vehicles lined coastal roads.
Authorities warned of the continued risk of fires across the island and southern Greece as the heatwave continues. and drought in the summer.
Crete is one of Greece's most prominent tourist destinations, attracting large numbers of local and foreign visitors.
At the same time, powerful storms swept across large areas of Central and Eastern Europe in recent days, causing significant human and material losses, following a severe heat wave that hit the continent.
In northern Italy, a 63-year-old woman was killed near Milan after a tree fell on her due to strong winds. Two municipal workers were also injured while removing debris overnight.
The storms caused extensive damage in several countries, including Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, and Serbia, with the latter experiencing hundreds of forest fires amid soaring temperatures. In Croatia, heavy rains damaged vital facilities, including a stadium and the port of Split.
In Slovakia, wind speeds exceeded 100 kilometers per hour, tearing off roofs and disrupting transportation.
Scientists warn that waves Heat and violent storms are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, as Europe experiences an increase in extreme weather events year after year.,

Photo published by the Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad