Emergency services battled wildfires across swathes of southern Europe amid mass evacuations on Wednesday.
Hundreds fled in central Italy as gas tanks exploded in a forest fire near the Tuscan town of Lucca. Similar numbers fled in Greece as a blaze fueled by gale-force winds raged in mountains north of Athens. Greek authorities said later in the day that the blaze had been tamed.
Power consumption is predicted to hit new peaks in Central U.S. states – adding to greenhouse gas emissions – as homes and businesses crank up air conditioners to combat a heatwave forecast to last into next week.Article content It has burned 10,000-12,000 hectares since Sunday and around 800 firefighters and six water planes have been deployed to tackle it.
Forecasters there said that temperatures were expected to hit 40C across a swathe of the north and centre this week. British engineers raced on Wednesday to fix train tracks that buckled in the heat after firefighters worked through the night to damp down wildfires. On Tuesday, London firefighters endured their busiest day since the Second World War.Article content
As the fire crossed into Slovenia, the mayor of nearby Trieste told local TV that parts of the town could soon stop receiving power, which would shut off the water supply.Article content
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