More than a thousand people died in Portugal as a result of the consequences of the severe heat wave that has hit the country for more than 10 days, while the authorities in Spain announced that the wave caused the deaths of more than 500 people.

The Directorate of Public Health in Portugal announced the death of 1,063 people in the country due to the heat wave between July 7 and 18, Portugal News reported on Wednesday.

In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday that the heat wave that has hit the country for about 10 days has killed "more than 500 people".

According to preliminary data published by the National Meteorological Agency, the heat wave that hit Spain was the most severe in the country.


Athens surrounded by fire

A forest fire fanned by strong winds erupted in the mountains near the Greek capital Athens on Wednesday, forcing hundreds - including hospital patients - to evacuate.

Thick clouds of smoke covered the sky over Mount Pentele, as about 500 firefighters, 120 fire engines and 15 water-laden planes were trying to put out the blaze.

Activists and journalists broadcast on social media platforms footage of large fires erupting in the mountains and forests of the area surrounding the capital, with firefighting teams trying to put out the fires.


Deaths in Britain and fires in France

In Britain, at least 13 people drowned while swimming in a record-breaking heat wave that sparked wildfires, damaged railway tracks and triggered warnings of worsening climate change.

British Minister Kate Malthus told parliament on Wednesday that 13 people had died "swim in rivers and lakes in the past few days, seven of them were teenage boys".

Since July 12, two fires have been burning in the Gironde, a province in southwestern France on the Atlantic coast, as the fires destroyed 20,600 hectares of forest, and a fire in the town of Landeras destroyed 13,600 hectares of forests, and a fire came in La Teste Du Bosch on 7 thousand hectares.


Germany and Italy

On the other hand, the navigation authorities said yesterday, Wednesday, that the weather also caused chaos in the transport networks in Germany, as the water level in the Rhine River decreased significantly, forcing cargo ships to sail with less loads, and impeding shipping across the entire river in Germany south of Duisburg.

Meanwhile, firefighting teams in the Italian region of Tuscany battled a forest fire that forced hundreds of residents from their homes and caused gas tanks to ignite, while shipbuilder Fincantieri was forced to close a factory that employs 3,000 people due to a fire in the northeast of the country.

Most of Europe has been witnessing a severe heat wave for more than a week, in which temperatures reached about 45 degrees in some areas, and forest fires broke out in Portugal, Spain and France.

The fires destroyed several elements of the rescue and firefighting teams, and destroyed thousands of hectares, at a time when a large number of residents and tourists were forced to leave their places of residence.

This heat wave, which broke many temperature records, is the second extreme heat phenomenon in about one month in Europe.

100 million Americans are under a heat wave

In the United States, the heat wave is sweeping the country from coast to coast, and the National Weather Service said that about 100 million Americans, from New York City in the east to Las Vegas on the west coast, will witness dangerous temperature indicators of more than 38 degrees Celsius and will be the target of warnings and guidance regarding heat throughout the day.

The administration said temperatures are expected to break daily records across Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Air pollution is another health hazard during a heat wave, as pollution from the power grid can double when power plants operate at full capacity during periods of extreme heat.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has called on world leaders to "be aware" of the problem behind heat waves such as those currently sweeping Europe, which may become more frequent due to climate change until at least 2060.

"These heat waves are becoming more frequent due to climate change" and will increase in the coming decades, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas told a news conference in Geneva.

"I hope this type of weather will raise awareness in many governments," Taalas added of the current heat wave.


North Africa

In turn, the Tunisian authorities said that the situation is difficult in the Jebel Boukernin fire in the southern suburbs of the capital, but the relatively low wind speed may help contain the fire in a shorter time.

Government spokesman Nasr al-Din al-Nusabi indicated that it was difficult to reach the fire due to the complex terrain, and that the army would carry out air sorties in the coming hours to contain the fire, adding that the priority was to put out the fires near inhabited places.

In Morocco, residents of the areas of Larache and Chefchaouen that were hit by the fires are working to restore their homes and repair what they can of their possessions.