The findings from World Weather Attribution, involving researchers from Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, show that carbon pollution has supercharged sea surface temperatures, raising them by about 2C in the Mediterranean, 1.4C in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Peninsula, and 1.3C around Ireland and the Channel.

The marine heatwaves are being observed earlier in the year, more frequently, and at higher intensities than would have been usual in pre-industrial times, with temperatures occurring in the Celtic region that previously would have been considered a 1-in-100-year event. In the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Peninsula, the western Mediterranean and eastern Mediterranean, the sea surface highs “would have been virtually impossible in a pre-industrial climate,” the researchers said, noting that the increases in the western and eastern Mediterranean“substantially exceed the level of global warming.”

The high sea surface temperatures have occurred outside the summer months too. The shoulder months, especially in spring, show warming much greater than the global average, the study says.

Co-author Claire Bergin, a climate analyst at Ireland’s Maynooth University, said: “While warmer waters for swimming may sound appealing to beachgoers in cooler countries like mine, the impact on marine life beneath the surface is more serious.” She went on to warn of “the potential to completely reshape ecosystems that coastal communities rely on for food and income, and drive damaging extreme weather on land too.”

As marine species migrate and adapt their diets to the changing conditions, “shifts in marine species distributions may affect the range of fish and crustaceans available for human consumption and aquaculture,” the report warns, highlighting examples such as dolphins reportedly feeding on jellyfish due to changes in the availability of their usual prey.

Warmer seas not only bring a risk of different diseases and parasites, but in turn cause warmer air and higher humidity for coastal regions increasing the risk of heat stress in human populations, and the chance of extreme rainfall events later in the season.

The report calls for a rapid transition away from the climate supercharging fossil fuels which, the researchers say, “is essential to save crucial ecosystems, fisheries, food production and tourism along the European coasts.” They also suggest adaptation measures to reduce pressure on marine ecosystems, protect habitats, evolve fisheries and aquaculture management, and improve monitoring and early-warning systems.

L’article Climate change pushes European seas to unprecedented temperatures, study finds est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The eclipse on 12 August will cross northern and eastern Spain along a band stretching from A Coruña in Galicia to Mallorca, making the country one of the best places in Europe to experience totality. Up to six million people could gather along the eclipse path, while around 460,000 international tourists are expected to have travelled to Spain specifically for the astronomical event.

The influx is also expected to put significant pressure on Spain’s roads, with around 1.5 million additional car journeys anticipated. Authorities are urging travellers to avoid unnecessary journeys and not to stop on roads or hard shoulders to observe the eclipse, particularly where vehicles could obstruct access for emergency services.

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Extreme wildfire danger across Spain

The warnings come after weeks of extreme temperatures and destructive wildfires across the country. Around 200,000 hectares have already burned in Spain this year, approximately six times the area recorded at the same point in 2025. Fires have recently been active in several parts of the country, including Huelva, Segovia and Huesca.

Conditions have been exacerbated by an exceptionally hot and dry summer. July was mainland Spain’s joint-hottest July since records began in 1961 and its driest on record, with just 4.3 mm of rain, equivalent to around 26% of normal precipitation for the month.

A large proportion of Spain is under weather alerts for Wednesday, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 40°C in some areas. Spain’s national weather agency AEMET has also warned of very high or extreme forest fire danger across much of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.

“The vegetation is extraordinarily dry and the smallest spark or carelessness could lead to devastating forest fires,” Environment Minister Sara Aagesen warned during a visit to Niebla, the site of a recent fire.

Aagesen urged people heading into natural areas to exercise the utmost caution, particularly around forests and places with low humidity and large amounts of dry vegetation.

Authorities are particularly concerned about potential ignition sources such as discarded cigarettes, barbecues, fireworks and vehicles parked over dry vegetation. Drivers have been warned that hot components underneath vehicles could potentially start a fire when parked on dry grass.

“We’ve had an extremely tough summer in Spain, with yet another series of major forest fires. That’s why we must restrict any kind of activity that could generate a spark,” Virginia Barcones, Secretary-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies at Spain’s Interior Ministry, told Reuters.

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660 official observation points

Spain is treating the eclipse as a nationwide security operation, with more than 660 official viewing sites identified across the country and around 35,000 officers expected to be involved in managing crowds and protecting vulnerable areas. A national control centre in Madrid will coordinate surveillance and emergency operations.

Heavy traffic is another concern, particularly because congestion in rural areas could prevent firefighters and other emergency services from reaching incidents quickly.

Some regional authorities have gone further by restricting access to vulnerable areas. In Valencia, natural parks have been closed and access to rural footpaths restricted. Camping and activities involving fire have also been suspended in high-risk areas, while barbecues and fireworks are prohibited.

Some planned eclipse gatherings elsewhere in Spain have been cancelled altogether because of the fire risk.

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Eclipse triggers astrotourism boom

Despite the warnings, the eclipse has triggered a major tourism boom across the path of totality. Accommodation in small towns and villages has been booked for months, while demand for campsites, motorhomes and rural accommodation has surged. Around 70% of Spain’s caravan fleet has reportedly already been reserved for the event.

Hotel prices have also risen sharply in some of the main viewing destinations. A Coruña has recorded particularly strong demand, while Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela and Bilbao have also experienced significant increases as travellers compete for accommodation within or close to the path of totality.

The phenomenon is particularly significant for Spain, where mainland observers have not experienced a total solar eclipse for more than a century. Totality will be visible within a band running across the north of the country and towards the Mediterranean, with the eclipse visible from destinations including A Coruña, Bilbao, Zaragoza and the Balearic Islands.

The influx had been anticipated months in advance, with Spain already preparing for a major eclipse tourism surge as accommodation and viewing locations along the path of totality attracted growing demand.

NASA has selected the tiny village of Villalibado in north-western Spain as one of its observation bases, installing four high-powered telescopes next to its Romanesque church to livestream the eclipse to millions of viewers worldwide.

Eye and equipment safety warnings

Wildfires and traffic are not the only safety concerns surrounding the event. Spanish hospitals are also preparing for possible eye injuries caused by people looking directly at the Sun without adequate protection. Six brands of eclipse glasses have been withdrawn after being deemed unsafe by Spanish consumer organisation FACUA.

As well as wildfire concerns, authorities have warned eclipse watchers to protect their eyesight by using certified solar viewing glasses. Smartphones and cameras can also be vulnerable when pointed directly at the Sun, making the use of appropriate protection important for anyone planning to photograph the eclipse.

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The warnings come as Europe prepares for its most significant solar eclipse in decades, with large numbers of travellers heading to Spain and Iceland to experience totality and others across the continent able to see a partial eclipse.

For visitors heading into Spain’s countryside, authorities are stressing another precaution: avoiding anything that could produce a spark. With extremely dry landscapes, temperatures approaching 40°C and hundreds of thousands of additional visitors converging on rural viewing locations, officials are hoping the country’s unprecedented eclipse tourism boom does not add to an already severe wildfire season.

L’article Solar eclipse tourism boom puts Spain on high wildfire alert est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy’s most popular cultural site with nearly 15 million visitors annually, will stay open until 11:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays throughout August, giving people four extra hours to explore the ancient gladiatorial arena.

Also in Rome, the Pantheon, one of the world’s best-preserved Ancient Roman structures, will similarly open for four hours past its usual 7 pm closure, until 11 pm, every day except Thursday. Last entries are 30 minutes earlier.

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And in Milan, the Castello Sforzesco, a 15^th-century medieval fortification that was once one of the largest in Europe, is opening for two extra hours daily, until 7.30 pm, offering half-price tickets for the extended access to the Museum of Ancient Art, the Michelangelo Pietà Rondanini Museum, and the free Passion for Drawing exhibition.

Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism said in a statement that “The special evening openings of the Colosseum and the Pantheon offer an opportunity to experience, in a particularly evocative setting, two universal testaments to history and human ingenuity.”

The move comes amid extreme temperatures that have prompted red alert health warnings across 27 major Italian cities, including beloved tourist destinations Rome, Milan, Naples, and Venice. It also follows the death of a 56-year-old tour guide at the Colosseum in August 2025, which led to calls from Italy’s Certified Tour Guide Association (AGTA) to adjust working hours to take into account the “heat emergency,” which meant that “working at the Roman Forum from 10:00 to 4:30 pm has been unbearable.”

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 The revised opening hours go beyond the 8:15 pm closing times that the AGTA suggested at the time, alongside earlier morning opening. Critics might argue, however, that the extension does not address wider issues of pension provision and financial precarity that push those working as tour guides to work unsustainable hours—something that could even be exacerbated by the longer days.

But widening the window of opportunity for visitors is seen by some as a way to engage more tourists in cultural experiences for which there is increasing demand. According to the National Institute for Tourism Research (ISNART), culture is now the leading reason for travel to Italy, going from seventh to first place the last decade. Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi said: “That is why we are giving the highest priority to cultural tourism and exploring the growth potential of a sector that already contributes €58 billion in visitor spending to the national economy.” He also explained that the changes come after consultation with a range of stakeholders.

L’article Italy’s major attractions introduce late-night opening in bid to beat extreme heat est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Farmers, landowners, firefighters, and cross-party lawmakers are supporting moves towards a ban on sales of disposable barbecue equipment as a way to reduce the chances of wildfires being ignited by sparks, discarded charcoal, and matches.

Please don't bring BBQs into our parks!

Disposable and portable BBQs can:

Cause grass fires
Damage parkland and wildlife habitats
Leave dangerous hot surfaces behind

A single spark can spread quickly during hot, dry weather.

Help us protect Birmingham's green… pic.twitter.com/c593V6Xvlq

— Birmingham City Council (@BhamCityCouncil) August 2, 2026

The landowners’ Country Land and Business Association (CLA), is backing a barbecue ban but wants to reintroduce “controlled burning” which it says would help to manage the vegetation that can feed fires but has been prohibited in England under wildlife and carbon emissions laws.

National Farmers Union deputy chief, Paul Tompkins, has pointed to the additional risk that unintentional fires pose to harvests and farmers’ livelihoods, coming on top of poor yields, saying: “A stray match or single spark, and months of hard work can be wiped out in just minutes; crops destroyed and harvest ruined, vital machinery and infrastructure damaged and livestock put at serious risk.”

56% of Britons would support a ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, amid wildfires across the UK triggering renewed calls for supermarkets to stop selling them during summer months

Support: 56%
Oppose: 25% pic.twitter.com/tKrkoMJLOb

— YouGov (@YouGov) August 4, 2026

Tompkins also highlighted the potential lasting impact of wildfires for the sector: “Beyond the immediate losses, there could be long-term consequences for soil health, grassland productivity and confidence of farm businesses already facing significant pressures,” he said.

He is urging shops to stop sales of disposable barbecues, and, going further, wants local authorities to head off public demand by bringing in rules against lighting barbecues, campfires, and camping stoves. The Liberal Democrat party and some Labour MPs are supporting that campaign, alongside a range of big retailers who have already ceased selling such items in line with guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Asda has paused disposable barbecue sales nationwide, Co-op and Morrison’s have introduced temporary bans, Sainsbury’s has pulled all single-use barbecues, and Tesco has also stopped sales. Meanwhile, retailers such as Aldi, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, and Waitrose already prohibit such products.

Some smaller retailers, DIY stores, and online sellers, however, are still offering them for purchase.

From Welsh valleys and national parks to Scottish and Northern Irish mountains and coastal Suffolk, where all eyes were on a blaze near Sizewell B nuclear facility, wildfires have occurred throughout the UK in 2026, with 393 responses from English and Welsh fire crews in July alone.

While the government has so far resisted an outright ban on barbecues, for UK residents and leisure visitors who want to avoid being the cause of wildfire catastrophes, both the NFCC guidance and the reduced availability of equipment on sale mean adjusting outdoor eating plans to take a prepared picnic instead, or eat at a nearby establishment, rather than lighting up cooking equipment in the wild.

High Peak MP Jon Pearce said: “This isn’t about stopping people enjoying the outdoors. It’s about protecting our countryside, supporting our firefighters and preventing avoidable fires before they start.”

L’article Wildfire risk raises pressure to ban disposable barbecues in England and Wales est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Elsewhere in Greece dozens of fires a day are burning, destroying 6,000 hectares on the islands of Crete and Paros, and pushing firefighters “to their limits” Greece’s Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas said on Saturday.

Residents and visitors to Greece should be aware that wildfire conditions have been particularly severe near Athens in the Attica, Boeotia and Fokida areas, with Voiotia and the island of Evia on maximum fire alert too.

Ionian island Cephalonia is also struggling to contain blazes. On the Gulf of Corinth, residents were evacuated from the ancient fortress town of Porto Germeno and other villages, where, reports say, 10,000 hectares including homes and vehicles have been destroyed.

Travel advice for Greece from the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) warns of “a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. Ensure that your mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts to be warned of wildfires near your location.”

The notice continues: “Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly.” It goes on to provide advice on how to avoid starting fires, by avoiding littering, particularly glass and cigarettes, and refraining from barbecues.

It warns that “Causing a wildfire or a forest fire is a criminal offence in Greece – even if unintentional.” Anyone who sees a fire and is in immediate danger, should call the emergency services on 112. The FCDO urges caution in areas in or near wildfire zones, and suggests affected people follow @112Greece for official updates, comply with emergency service instructions, and contact their airline or travel operator for assistance with return travel to the UK.

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France

France meanwhile has lost 63,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land since the beginning of July, with two thirds of that land taken by an inferno in the Gironde region that is known to have devastated 240 homes. 12,000 people of 220,000 evacuees are still unable to return to their residences. While things are returning to “a more stable situation,” according to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, the damage extends across 420 square kilometres, and a fire in the southeastern Var region is barely contained and remains “extremely precarious,” authorities say.

Visitors to France should remain alert to fire warnings and instructions and be aware that some areas remain inaccessible. They should also be aware that road closures can occur during quickly changing conditions. The FCDO advice for France notes an April-October wildfire risk that is “highest in the south of the country, particularly along the Mediterranean coast, in Corsica, and in areas of the south-west during periods of hot, dry weather.”

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Spain

In Spain, between January and August 2026, 186,544 hectares of forest were burnt in data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge shows. The southwest European country has lifted a state of emergency declared at the end of July, but is fighting fires still in Zamora, northeast Spain, and in León, after a flare up in San Tirso.

Evacuations have taken place in Veguellina, Valdelaloba, and in Cáceres, and in Castellón, a week-long fire in Vall d’Uixó burned 9,568 hectares and saw residents evacuated.

Across the region, the European Forest Fire Information System said the risk of wildfire remains high into the first week of August, including in northern countries, such as the UK and Denmark.

L’article Greek wildfires continue to threaten Athens, islands and mainland coastal regions est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Since 2011, unusually large amounts of sargassum have been washing ashore across the Caribbean, Central America, South Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The phenomenon has transformed from a seasonal natural event into a recurring problem affecting beaches, marine ecosystems and communities that depend on the ocean.

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Публикация от Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. (@whoi.ocean)

For travellers, the arrival of sargassum can significantly change the experience of a beach holiday. Large piles of brown seaweed can cover coastlines, making some beaches less attractive for visitors. As the seaweed decomposes, it releases gases including hydrogen sulfide, which creates a strong smell often compared to rotten eggs.

“Travelers don’t like the smell, and it affects our beautiful beaches,” says Javier Pizaña-Alonso, CORAL’s Program Manager in Cozumel. The impact goes beyond the appearance of beaches, as coastal businesses, hotels, fishing activities and local communities also face the consequences of large-scale sargassum arrivals.

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Публикация от Telesur Yucatán (@telesuryuc)

Sargassum itself is not a harmful organism. The floating brown seaweed naturally exists in the Atlantic Ocean, especially in the Sargasso Sea, where it provides shelter and food for many marine species. Floating mats create a unique ecosystem containing fish, shrimp, crabs and many smaller organisms.

“A floating sargassum mat is much more than just seaweed. It is like a floating city,” researchers explain. These floating ecosystems can support marine life while drifting through the ocean. The problem begins when the amount of seaweed becomes too large and reaches the coastline, where it starts decomposing and affecting water quality.

Scientists have spent years trying to understand why the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has grown so quickly. Previous research focused on several possible causes, including nutrient pollution from agriculture, changes in ocean temperatures, stronger ocean currents and dust particles travelling from the Sahara Desert.

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Публикация от Gabriel Quito Hernández Castro (@quito239)

New research suggests that these factors may have helped trigger the first major blooms, but the process has now changed. According to scientists, sargassum may have developed a self-sustaining system where the seaweed helps collect and recycle nutrients that support future growth.

The researchers describe this process as a type of natural cycle. Animals living around the floating mats consume organic material and release nutrients back into the ecosystem. As older sargassum breaks down, those nutrients become available for new growth, allowing future blooms to continue developing.

To test this theory, scientists created a mathematical model that included the different processes influencing sargassum growth. The model successfully reproduced previous blooms between 2011 and 2022 and accurately predicted the development of blooms in 2023 and 2024, supporting the idea that the seaweed belt has become more persistent.

The scale of the problem has increased rapidly in recent years. Under favourable conditions, sargassum can grow extremely quickly. “Under these conditions, blooms can double in size in about 18 days,” says Pizaña-Alonso. Large quantities of seaweed can block harbours, disrupt fishing activities and create low-oxygen conditions that threaten marine ecosystems.

Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable. When large amounts of decomposing sargassum reach shallow coastal waters, they can reduce water quality and contribute to conditions that are harmful to reef-building corals. This is especially concerning in regions where tourism depends heavily on healthy marine environments.

However, researchers are also exploring whether the seaweed problem could become an opportunity. Sargassum is increasingly being studied as a possible resource within the blue economy, an approach that focuses on using ocean resources sustainably while protecting marine ecosystems.

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Публикация от Ahian Coronel | Playa del Carmen (@ahianvlog)

Possible uses include producing biofuels, creating natural fertilisers and developing sustainable construction materials. In Barbados, researchers have explored ways to combine collected sargassum with wastewater from the rum industry to produce biofuel. In Mexico, scientists and entrepreneurs have tested construction products made partly from the seaweed.

Although completely preventing future blooms may be difficult, better forecasting could help destinations prepare for their arrival. Early warning systems could give coastal communities more time to organise clean-up efforts and protect tourism activities.

As scientists continue studying the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, the challenge will be finding ways to manage the growing amounts of seaweed while recognising its role in ocean ecosystems. What was once considered only a coastal nuisance may become both a challenge and a resource for the future of sustainable tourism.

L’article Caribbean beaches face growing sargassum challenge as scientists warn blooms may persist est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Previous WWA studies show that the intense heatwaves experienced across the region in recent years would not have been possible without the greenhouse effect of carbon pollution.

Ironically, the conditions have been worsened by the wet European winters and springs that accompany global warming and promote the growth of vegetation that later dries out during heatwaves to become additional fire fodder.

The fire in the Gironde region of France has so far burned approximately 40,000 hectares, the second largest area of land devastated by a single wildfire in France since the Second World War, the WWA points out.

By the end of July, data from the European Commission Joint Research Centre indicated 434, 976 hectares had burnt since the start of the year, far exceeding the record 346,836 hectares burnt in 2025. By 30 July, 1407 fires had been detected, more than double the long-term average of 632 fires.

The situation has driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in mass evacuations. Julie Arrighi, programmes director at Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said: “What we are seeing now in Spain and France goes well beyond what we would expect from past events.”

Dr Clair Barnes, an Imperial College London researcher and WWA team member, said the findings were “extremely scary,” especially with the recent fires taking place “early in the season” with “another heatwave looming.”

As well as the obvious immediate risk of death and injury to populations, the fires have already emitted 17.98 million tonnes (Mt) of CO₂ and particulate pollution,  further contributing to the climate-driven fire hazard and the health impacts of the phenomenon.

“The smoke increased particulate peak levels up to 20 times above what is considered ‘fair air quality’, and extremely poor air quality was felt up to 400 km away from the fires.” Dr Augustin Colette, at the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks, said.

An estimated 20,000 excess deaths across Europe were caused by the June 2026 heatwave, according to calculations by Assistant Professor Christopher Callahan from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and about 1.5 million people a year are estimated to have their lives shortened by wildfire smoke.

L’article Carbon pollution makes droughts and wildfires 20 times more likely in Spain and doubles risk in France est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The liminal body of water is 200 metres north of Lac du Joux, which is fed by different rivers and is the largest lake above 1000 metres altitude in Switzerland. In contrast with that, Brenets (also called Lac de Chaillexon in French) is described on a local tourism website as a “little gem,” its perimeter walkable in an hour. It’s also known for the natural ice formed and exported from there in winter.

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At the start of the main 2026 season in April, social media posts from the Jura3lacs account showed leisure boats bobbing on clear and tranquil waters against a backdrop of forested, limestone outcrops, and a 27-metre waterfall that has around 17,000 Instagram tags.

But, despite the growing popularity of Switzerland as a “coolcation” spot, this year’s spring temperatures(March–May) averaged 1.6°C above the long-term average, ranking as the third-warmest spring since records began in 1864. May was 1.8°C above average. June was 3.5°C above the 1991–2020 norm, and July was the warmest on record, at 3.2°C above the reference period, according to SwissInfo.ch

A mountain lake in high heat sounds idyllic, but the heat and drought mean the lake has currently lost its charm for visitors and is largely ⁠deserted, due to rainfall since April at about half the usual rate, according to Méteo Suisse, and catastrophic water levels in the River Doubs.

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Instead of its usual 1.5-km length and 500-metre width, the lake has shrunk. Boats now sit on the lake’s exposed brown silt bed, taunted by a meagre stream of muddy water in the lake’s middle—now more than nine metres below the average level. Worse, the situation is deteriorating by around 22 centimetres every day, with drought conditions predicted to last through mid-August.

One vessel stranded on the lake is “Jumbo,” owned by Yvan Durig’s Société de Navigation des Brenets, who reports being hit hard and feeling “powerless” to improve his lot. Regional data notes that, together, three local boat companies usually ferry thousands of tourists across the lake in the summer season.

As countries like Switzerland pivot away from snow sports and promote their year-round tourism offer amid growing concerns about snowfall, recent drought conditions and their impact on summer tourism activities are likely to contribute to the ongoing conversation about tourism and climate adaptation.

L’article Swiss lake loses tourists as drought causes water levels to drop 22cm a day est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Covering 13,000 hectares, the forest will have three different areas, comprising “natural forests”, where natural processes are left to occur; “near-natural forests” where forestry practices will be minimised; and the largest 8,000-hectare space, dedicated to “social forests”, designed to promote exercise, leisure, and wellbeing opportunities, including cycling and hiking trails.

Describing the forest’s creation as an “historic moment and the beginning of a new approach to forest protection,” climate and environment minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska said the scheme had been conceived “with residents in mind first and foremost.”

Cities represent just two percent of the Earth’s surface but are responsible for 70% of carbon emissions. With the United Nations predicting two-thirds of humans will reside in cities by 2050, experts say “rewilding” will enhance the air that we breathe, boost our mental health, as well as biodiversity, and limit the impacts of climate change. 

Hennig-Kloska also highlighted the many benefits of woodland areas, adding: “Community forests are places where residents can relax, play sports and simply spend time close to nature,” she added. “At the same time, they are crucial to our security and quality of life: they retain water, regulate the climate, purify the air and protect the soil.”

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The ten other sites where community forests are undergoing planning permissions are near the cities of: Bielsko-Biała, also known as Podbeskidzie and Little Vienna for its architectural gems; the northern Tricity area, comprising Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot, on the shore of Gdańsk Bay; the former southern industrial powerhouse, Katowice; as well as Kielce, Kraków, Łódź, Poznań, Szczecin, Toruń-Bydgoszcz and Warsaw. Kielce and Bielsko-Biała are reported by the Polish Press Agency to be the first in the pipeline after Wroclaw.

The environmental work is part of moves by Poland’s current government to unpick many of the previous Law & Justice regime’s moves, seen as authoritarian and right-wing, and criticised by the European Union as against the rule of law. The country had fallen foul of EU habitat protection laws by permitting commercial logging, including in the ancient UNESCO World Heritage site of Białowieża Forest, where the former government had allowed logging activity to triple—an issue that led to national and international controversy.

L’article Poland to create vast community forests around 11 major cities est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

For Spain, the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office has updated its advice to note the fires in the Madrid and Avila areas, telling people in affected areas to “follow instructions from local authorities and emergency services at all times; check updates from the emergency services; and call 112 if you need emergency help.”

Holidaymakers on their way to France are warned of the “high risk” of wildfires between April and October, and are also urged to check the status of their trip with local authorities, accommodation providers, and tour operators before setting out on any journeys.

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Публикация от The New York Times (@nytimes)

Spain

Travellers should be aware that Spain has declared a national emergency due to the blazes in Madrid and Ávila. At the time of writing, around 24,000 residents in Toledo, Madrid, Ávila, and Castellón have been allowed to return home, and 20,000 others have been released from lockdown. But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has warned the next 12 hours will be “decisive” in the firefight.

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Beyond the Madrid area, a fire at Vall d’Uixó north-west of Valencia has not yet been tamed, and an inferno at Burgohondo in Ávila province has forced 40,000 people from their homes and, still burning, now holds the record for the largest recorded wildfire in Spanish history, having swallowed 43,000 hectares.

France

French authorities have evacuated campsites, tourist accommodation and some residential areas, the British FCDO guidance notes. Parts of Gironde are affected by fires around Saumos, Le Porge, and Lège-Cap-Ferret, while in the neighbouring Landes to the north, surfing mecca Biscarrosse, near the Bay of Arcachon, is also under siege by flames.

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Публикация от Libération (@liberationfr)

Authorities warn that roads may close at short notice, restricting access and escape routes. An information line has been opened and accepts calls from 9 am to 5 pm on +33 (0)9 70 80 90 40 (press option 1 for Gironde, 2 for Landes). It is also possible to monitor active wildfires on the French wildfire map: Feux de Forêt.

How ethical and practical is travel?

As wildfires become more common across more nations due to climate-change-related drought conditions, aside from the safety factors, the travel and tourism sector is increasingly reckoning with the ethics and practicality of travelling to regions where natural disasters are playing out.

When governments stop short of official Do Not Travel warnings, travel consumers are usually unable to claim on insurance to recoup the costs of their lost holiday, meaning many people lose out if they choose to abandon their plans.

Others choose to continue with their trip, arguing that disaster-struck communities still need the income that visitors bring. Such conversations are still going on in Hawaii following the deadly wildfires of August 2023.

It is worth bearing in mind that routes in affected areas need to remain as free as possible for emergency vehicle access, and, as the mayor of Chapinería, Lucía Moya, told Telemadrid, the fire’s consequences are severe and “many residents have lost their homes and jobs. Getting back on track is going to be an arduous task.”

L’article France and Spain wildfires: Which regions should tourists avoid right now? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.