# Europe Braces for Record-Breaking Temperatures and Wildfires
Key Highlights :
As the Northern Hemisphere continues to suffer under a relentless heatwave and wildfires, Europe is bracing for new high temperatures on Tuesday. The extreme weather has already forced the evacuation of 1,200 children close to a Greek seaside resort, and health authorities have been urging people to stay hydrated and shelter from the burning sun.
The continent is the world's fastest-warming, and according to the European Space Agency, temperatures are expected to peak on Italy's islands of Sicily and Sardinia, where a high of 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) has been forecast. This is close to the European temperature record of 48.8C recorded on Sicily in 2021.
Near Athens, emergency services battled wildfires for a second day in several locations around the city. Several homes were burned in the area, according to footage from public broadcaster ERT. A forest fire also flared in strong winds by the popular beach town of Loutraki, where the mayor said 1,200 children had been evacuated from holiday camps.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas has warned that the extreme weather is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies. He has urged for a quicker and deeper reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
In Europe, Italians were warned to prepare for "the most intense heatwave of the summer and also one of the most intense of all time" as temperatures hit a near-record 39C in Rome on Monday.
The heatwave has also been felt in parts of Asia and North America, with China reporting a new high for mid-July in the northwest of the country, where temperatures reached 52.2C in the Xinjiang region's village of Sanbao. In Japan, at least 60 people were treated for heatstroke, and a quarter million people were evacuated in southern China and Vietnam before a major typhoon roared ashore late Monday.
In the US, more than 80 million people were under advisories as a "widespread and oppressive" heatwave roasted the region. California's Death Valley, often among the hottest places on Earth, reached a near-record 52C Sunday afternoon. In Arizona, state capital Phoenix tied its record of 18 consecutive days above 43C (109F).
The extreme temperatures and wildfires have also caused air quality alerts across much of the northeast, and in Canada, 882 wildfires were active on Monday, including 579 considered out of control.
The heatwave has not only been a reminder of the effects of global warming, but it has also highlighted the need for global leadership on climate issues. US climate envoy John Kerry held talks with Chinese officials in Beijing, as the world's two largest polluters revive stalled diplomacy on reducing planet-warming emissions.
It is clear that the world needs to take drastic action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the planet from further damage. In the meantime, people will need to continue to stay hydrated and seek shelter from the extreme heat.
