Heatwave Scorches Southern Europe
Hundreds of wildfires sparked by a prolonged heat wave raged through southeastern Europe on Monday, spurring officials in Greece and Bulgaria to declare states of emergency.
As firefighters battled large wildfires in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Serbia's Kosovo province, medical services geared up for resurgent heat. Daytime temperatures in much of the region remained between 100 and 104 degrees, and some spots were expecting the mercury to approach 110 degrees Tuesday.
A total of more than 50 people have died throughout the region since last week, killed by everything from heatstroke to falling off roofs while trying to cool off.
The blazes have stretched the region's firefighting capabilities to the breaking point, preventing one country from helping the other.
"Our neighbor [Italy] asked for help, but we did not have the capability of offering it because we are using our forces on our own fronts," Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said.
The Greek government again made climate-controlled halls and stadiums available to people without air conditioners, while nearly 5,000 firefighters battled more than 150 blazes around the country. The fires were fanned by winds and temperatures expected to rise from Monday's 102 degrees up to 109 degrees on Tuesday.
The Balkan people are anxious for a cold snap in northern Europe to move south.
"We expect temperatures by Friday to be lower than average for the season...due to colder weather expected from northern Europe," a Greek weather service spokeswoman said.
After last week's soaring temperatures, it snowed in Italy Tuesday while Germany and France enjoyed rain showers.
Bursts of rain halved temperatures from last month's highs after a sizzling June had made Germany one of Europe's hottest places, forcing its farmers to bring forward grain harvests.
The wet spell affecting mostly western and southern Germany dampened spirits at this weekend's Love Parade party in Berlin, which failed to match last year's crowd of 1.5 million.
Torrential rain also hit Rome and the Sardinian capital Cagliari, where temperatures had reached 122 degrees Fahrenheit last week.
Rains receded Tuesday morning in Milan but flooding from the violent storms slowed traffic. The Stelvio pass, near Bormio, was covered with up to eight inches of snow, requiring car chains.
Apart from the Mediterranean coast, in most parts of France residents put on sweaters and carried umbrellas as temperatures dipped to five or six degrees below seasonal averages.
"We had very nice temperatures in May and June but it's been unseasonably cool for the past week or so," said a spokesman for Meteo France, the state weather bureau.