Heatwave Engulfs Syrian Forests

Syrian civil defense workers are struggling to extinguish raging forest fires across the countryside as temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. The head of the local forest protection center, Amjad Hamad, told the Syrian News Agency (SANA) that a fire broke out in public agricultural land in Hama province, where firefighting teams are working to prevent it from spreading to surrounding areas. He noted that another fire started in agricultural areas of the neighboring Homs province, adding that civil defense teams are finding it difficult to contain it due to "rough mountainous terrain." Local radio station "Sham FM" reported that families from the village of Marana fled as the fire approached their homes. The Syrian news agency stated that temperatures have risen six degrees Celsius above average across the country today, Tuesday, with active winds and "intensely hot clouds." Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius in the ancient city of Palmyra in Homs province, and recorded 39 in the capital, Damascus. Frequent power outages have made it difficult for families to cool their air. A group of women in the capital are charging small electric fans with portable batteries and regularly dipping their feet in cold water to compensate for the lack of air conditioning. Irregular rainfall and rising temperatures are suspected to be effects of climate change that are already impacting Syria. The wheat harvest, which was four million tons annually before the war, has declined by nearly 75 percent in recent years due to unfavorable weather conditions.