Israel must prepare to address extreme heatwaves the likes of which are currently plaguing Europe, experts told Israel Hayom on Monday.
Southwest Europe including France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Britain saw temperatures soar past 42°C (107°F) in some regions. France24 cited a senior meteorologist as warning of a "heat apocalypse" in the country while the UK Weather Service issued its first-ever "Red Warning," saying the extreme heat posed a "risk to life."
Wildfires have been raging in France, Portugal, and Spain, consuming thousands of acres land. Thousands have been forced to flee areas at risk.
Red Extreme heat warning issued
Parts of England on Monday and Tuesday
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Dr. Avi Bar Massada, a spatial and landscape ecologist with the University of Haifa, told Israel Hayom that the situation in southern Europe only stands to get worse.
"This is not necessarily because of the high temperatures, but rather more because of extreme droughts. At events like this, when everything is dry, the trees dry out and all it takes is one tiny spark to light a fire. Add to that wind conditions and you have huge wildfires like we're seeing in France right now."
He warned that Israel, too, could see a similar scenario because of high heat and droughts. "We have to be ready," he said.
Professor Haim Kutiel of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Haifa, said that what sets this European heatwave apart from previous ones is its duration.
"This is a week or 10-day-long event. This greatly augments the dryness and heat that causes fires in the Mediterranean basin in countries like Portugal, Greece, Italy and France."
He said the current heatwave was also unique on the continent due the fact that it has reached as far as central Britain – where the last extreme scorcher was recorded in 2003, when over 20,000 people died across the continent during the record-breaking heatwave.
"I believe that such events will be more frequent and extreme, we will see more heatwaves and more fires in the Mediterranean basin and other areas on the continent. This is part of global climate change," he said.
