Forest fires, droughts and storms ravage Europe even as the heat wave recedes

While thunderstorms are typical during and after a period of extreme heat, storms in countries such as France, Germany and Poland were particularly severe, bringing flooding, strong winds and heavy rain with large hailballs, according to the Guardian. In southeastern France, people reported on social media having seen hailstones with diameters between 5 cm and 7 cm on Wednesday (15/7), in the cities of Aubenas, Vals-les-Bains and Lalevade-d’Ardèche, and the streets were covered in a visible layer of them. The hail damaged vehicle windshields and several buildings, as well as vineyards.

Furthermore, torrential rain and strong winds caused localized flooding in France – where two people died as a result of the storms, according to Euronews – and in Poland. In the southwestern Polish city of Wroc?aw, roads and tram tracks were closed due to flooding, and winds toppled trees onto tram cables. Residents were advised to stay at home and prepare for possible power cuts.

Spain and the United Kingdom are already burning in flames. A forest fire in Cinco Villas, in Zaragoza, in northeastern Spain, has already consumed 12 thousand hectares and forced the evacuation of six villages. Guadalajara and Madrid are fighting two other forest fires, and more than 2,000 people have been ordered to stay in their homes, Euronews reports. The fire is advancing across Spain amid extreme heat, strong winds and low humidity.

Some areas of the UK are also suffering from drought. In central England there was no measurable rainfall recorded for 15 days – the longest dry period since June 1996, highlights the BBC. That's where Manchester is, where firefighters and volunteers were trying to put out a fire more than a week ago, according to the BBC. Helicopters dropped water over the parched land, and columns of smoke spread across the region.

In Scotland, a forest fire in the Cairngorms continued to burn on Friday (17/7), affecting an area of around 10 km2 in the Scottish national park, reports the Independent. The flames started in the middle of last week, and BBC images show them spreading across the mountains. More than 50 firefighters and nine vehicles were mobilized to contain the flames and prevent their spread.

Meanwhile, the death toll on the European continent continues to rise, reports phys.org. At least 12,000 excess deaths were recorded in nine countries across the continent during the June heatwave, according to national statistics. A number that could increase as more data is released.

In time: The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) is tracking dense plumes of smoke originating from an increasing number of large wildfires in Canada since late June. The smoke caused severe degradation of air quality from the Great Lakes region to the East Coast and the North Atlantic. Millions of people were exposed to dangerous levels of air quality, sometimes twice the level considered dangerous, highlights Copernicus. Large columns of smoke were observed reaching the Arctic to the north and also being transported to the Atlantic Ocean.

Smoke from fires in Canada threatened the Football World Cup. In New York and the neighboring state of New Jersey, which hosted the tournament final in an open stadium, the metropolitan region had air quality that could be harmful to the health of sensitive groups, according to France24. Still, the condition was better than on Thursday (16/7), when a toxic haze made the Manhattan skyline almost invisible.