Severe Heat and Wildfires on Both Sides of the Mediterranean; Greece: No Magic Solution to the Problem

A group of scientists stated that, alongside the wildfires in vast areas of Mediterranean countries, "without human-induced climate change, the events of this month would have been 'very rare'." The Prime Minister of Greece also mentioned that there is no magic solution to address this problem. These scientists, who are examining the role of climate change in unexpected weather, described this summer's severe heat as a 'silent killer' whose victims are mostly the poor, the elderly, and those with physical problems. According to Reuters, the wildfires temporarily closed Palermo Airport on the island of Sicily in southern Italy on Tuesday, July 25. The report noted that a storm in northern Italy on Monday night, July 24, collapsed roofs, broke trees, and left two dead. In eastern Sicily, temperatures exceeded 47 degrees Celsius on Monday. In Greece, following last week's wildfire on the island of Rhodes, Greek officials evacuated people from areas near the fires. Over 20,000 local residents and tourists were forced to leave their homes and hotels. According to Reuters, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece, said on Tuesday: "There is no magical defensive mechanism to deal with the conditions that the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean region, which is at the center of climate change; if there were, we would implement it." The report also noted that temperatures in North Africa on Tuesday surpassed those in Europe, with some cities in Tunisia recording temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius. In Algeria, nearly 8,000 firefighters were called to control the deadly flames. Wildfires in Algeria have claimed the lives of 34 people so far. The report indicated that the unprecedented summer heat has caused severe human and economic losses worldwide: heat records have been broken in China, North America, Southern Europe, and North Africa, wildfires have erupted, the European tourism industry has been disrupted, and Europe is facing water shortages and increased hospital admissions for heatstroke. The wildfires have disrupted the tourism industry, which is Greece's main source of income. 18% of Greece's GDP, or one in five jobs, is based on tourism, and in islands like Rhodes, reliance on tourism is even greater. Recent studies show that last summer, nearly 61,000 people died due to the severe heat wave in Europe. This statistic indicates that countries' efforts to prepare for heat have failed. Giuseppe Sala, the mayor of Milan, stated on social media: "I have lived through 65 summers... and what I see now is not normal. We can no longer deny it; climate change is changing human lives." Scientists from the World Meteorological Organization say that the heat has caused widespread damage to crops and livestock, severely affecting corn and soybean farms in the U.S., ranches in Mexico, olive orchards in Southern Europe, and cotton farms in China. The heat wave in Europe; temperatures in several countries will exceed 40 degrees. The hot and long summer continues in North America, Europe, and China. The heat wave in the Northern Hemisphere; a 'red alert' has been declared in Southern and Eastern Europe. The heat wave in America; experts have warned about climate change. Temperatures exceeding 50 degrees have been recorded in six cities in Iran; an unprecedented heat wave in areas of America.