Under the title "Wildfires Worldwide: The Mediterranean Basin Ignites Amid Severe Heat Wave," Sky News reported that exhausted firefighting teams continue to combat raging wildfires in many countries around the world, particularly in the Mediterranean region, from Turkey in the east to Algeria in the west, amid a severe heat wave that is the highest in Europe and the southern Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the UN Climate Committee released a report on Monday stating that greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere are high enough to guarantee climate disruption for decades, if not centuries.
#### Severe Heat Wave
The Mediterranean countries, from Turkey to Tunisia, passing through Greece and Italy's Sicily, are experiencing the highest temperatures in decades. This week, the UN Climate Committee warned that the world is dangerously close to extreme heat. Tunisia's capital recorded record temperatures over the past two days, reaching approximately 49 degrees Celsius, according to the meteorological institute. Greece is enduring its worst heatwave in 30 years. In Italy, specifically in Sicily, the highest temperature in European history was recorded at 48.8 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 48 degrees Celsius set in Athens in 1977.
#### Ongoing Wildfires
In Greece, for the tenth consecutive day, firefighters continue their efforts to contain wildfires across the country. Approximately 20 villages in the Peloponnese have been evacuated, but ancient Olympia, the site of the first Olympic Games, has escaped the flames. Around 580 Greek firefighters are battling wildfires in Gortynia near Olympia, aided by colleagues from France, the UK, Germany, and the Czech Republic, according to Reuters. Flames continue to rage in Evia, Greece's second-largest island, which experienced some of the worst devastation from the fires last week. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the situation as a "terrifying summer" and apologized for the failure to manage over 500 fires across Greece.
#### National Mourning in Algeria
To the south, specifically in Algeria, the government deployed military forces to help combat fiercely burning wildfires in the northern forest areas, which have caused the deaths of at least 69 people, including 28 soldiers. The hardest-hit area is Tizi Wuzou, the largest center in the Kabylie region, where homes have burned, and residents have sought refuge in hotels, youth hostels, and university accommodations in nearby cities. According to the Algerian news agency, public prosecutor Abdelkader Amrouche reported that the number of victims from the fires that broke out on Monday in Tizi Wuzou reached 69 by Wednesday, including over 20 military personnel, with hundreds injured. The general director of forests, Ali Mahmoudi, confirmed that of the 103 fires that broke out in 17 provinces since Monday, 86 remain uncontrolled, including 30 major fires in Tizi Wuzou. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared three days of national mourning for the victims and suspended state activities unrelated to the fires.
#### Italy: Heat, Winds, and Fires
Fires in southern Italy have destroyed thousands of acres, with temperatures rising well above 40 degrees Celsius. The Italian meteorological agency reported a record temperature in Sicily and Europe, reaching 48.8 degrees Celsius. Hot winds have helped spread the flames and prolong the fires. Firefighters tweeted that they have conducted over 3,000 operations in Sicily and Calabria in the past twelve hours and deployed seven aircraft in an effort to extinguish the fires.
#### Turkey: Fires and Flooding
Turkey has also experienced nearly 300 wildfires over the past two weeks, resulting in the destruction of tens of thousands of acres of forest, although only three wildfires were reported as of late Wednesday, according to Reuters. The northern coast of Turkey faces a different challenge with flooding due to unusually heavy rainfall that destroyed a bridge and caused power outages in several villages.
#### Fires in Siberia and California
Wildfires are not limited to the Mediterranean region; other areas are also experiencing widespread fires, such as Siberia in Eastern Russia and California in Western America. California witnessed its second-largest wildfire in history as of late last Sunday. The fire, known as the "Dixie Fire," has swept through nearly half a million acres and has destroyed at least 1,000 buildings, including 550 residential structures. In Siberia, the flames continue to consume forests, and NASA reported that smoke columns reached nearby Arctic areas. According to the Novosti agency, by midnight August 8, there were 174 wildfires burning in Russia over an area exceeding 1.5 million hectares, and efforts to extinguish them were ongoing. The Forest Protection Authority reported the largest area of wildfires in the Republic of Sakha, where 90 fires are currently burning over approximately 1.4 million hectares.
