MADRID: Spain is currently witnessing the third heatwave of the summer with mercury touching up to 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in central and southern areas, western media reported.
The local authorities have feared that the chances of wildfires are very high because of the scorching heat.
State weather agency AEMET has warned the temperature could also rise to 40 C in the Basque area of n northeastern Spain, which is less familiar with such high temperatures.
Spain Witnessing Massive Heat Waves
Southern European countries have been witnessing record-breaking temperatures this summer, making authorities warn of health risks, particularly for the elderly and those with weak health.
The heatwaves recorded in Spain and Europe this summer have also prolonged the drought and lowered the water level in reservoirs. The high temperatures have also melted ice on the mountains.
The Cryosphere, a scientific journal in a recent report warned against the melting of Aneto Glacier, the largest in the Pyrenees area of Spain. It is feared that the glacier can disappear if such high temperatures continue to prevail in the country.
The report said almost two-thirds of the glacier has been melted and its surface area between 1981 and 2022 has been reduced to just half a square km.
