Extreme weather across Europe has caused four deaths in storms in Switzerland and northern Italy, while wildfires have forced evacuations in Greece and Turkey.
Severe storms and heavy rains that hit France, Switzerland, and Italy over the weekend have resulted in seven fatalities, according to local authorities.
In France’s northeastern Aube region, three elderly individuals in their 70s and 80s were killed on Saturday when a tree fell on their car during strong winds, with a fourth passenger in critical condition.
In Switzerland, local police reported four deaths and one missing person. Three people were killed by a landslide in the southeastern Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, while a man was found dead in a hotel in Saas-Grund in the southwestern canton of Valais, likely due to a sudden floodwater rise. Another person remains missing in Valais.
Both southern and western parts of Switzerland have been affected by heavy rain. Campsites along the River Maggia have been evacuated, while part of the Visletto road bridge collapsed.
The civil security services evacuated “several hundred” people in Valais and closed roads due to the overflowing Rhone River and its tributaries. Emergency services are determining the best way to evacuate 300 people attending a football tournament in Peccia and nearly 70 individuals from a holiday camp in Mogno.
The floods are a result of a rapid increase in water levels of several rivers, including the Rhône, caused by storms and melting snow, police said, adding that the flooding has also caused debris flows and numerous road closures.
Rescue missions in northern Italy
Floods, thunderstorms, and landslides have impacted several regions in northern Italy. In the northern Piedmont region, firefighters conducted around 80 rescue missions, evacuating dozens of people.
Among those rescued were two adults and a three-month-old girl, who were trapped in their car between Montanaro and San Benigno Canavese due to rising waters. In the Valle D’Aosta region, several villages were isolated by overflowing streams.
Temperatures forecasted to rise further in Turkey and Greece
Temperatures are anticipated to rise further on Monday and Tuesday in Greece and Turkey, increasing the wildfire risk.
In Greece, dozens of firefighters battled blazes south of Athens on Sunday, supported by 17 water-carrying aircraft, in a sparsely populated area near Keratea, 22 miles from the capital. Television footage showed at least four houses on fire. Authorities instructed some residents to evacuate and others to stay indoors and close their windows to avoid smoke.
In Turkey, holidaymakers have reportedly been warned they may need to relocate due to a wildfire. Helicopters are being used in the Selcuk district of Izmir to combat the fire.