Severe heat wave is being experienced in Spain and Portugal, forcing the authorities to issue weather alerts across the region. The day temperature has crossed the 40°C mark in many areas and is a major health hazard for the people in the region. Around 40 provinces in Spain have been put on warning including a red alert for the city of Cordoba in southern Spain.
The authorities in the neighboring country of Portugal have also placed four districts on orange alert which is the second highest alert level possible. Both the countries have acknowledged that the searing heat could increase the risk of forest fires. Almost the entire country of Spain was under extreme or high danger of forest fires on Monday.
The heat wave has been categorized as an unusual phenomenon by the local weather office. They also stated that these extremely high temperatures pose a serious health hazard for the people in the region. Spanish cities of Cordoba, Seville and Toledo were the hottest pockets in the country on Monday and it’s going to get even worse as the temperature is going to reach 44°C in some areas.
The heat wave is expected to widen its reach which has prompted the authorities in France and UK to take note of it. In the year 2003 an unusual heat wave claimed more than 70, 000 lives across Europe. The heat wave is expected to last till the weekend which is not good news for the people.
Image Credit: thelocal.es
