The “significant flash flooding” struck the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas on Saturday, 29 August, according to the National Park Service (NPS). Two people were confirmed dead, while more than 80 people were evacuated from the affected areas. At least one person remained unaccounted for in the days following the disaster, according to CBS News.

The flooding caused widespread damage to infrastructure in the inner canyon, including nearly every footbridge spanning Bright Angel Creek. More than 60 people were evacuated by helicopter from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail as floodwaters swept through the area.

One of the most significant consequences has been damage to the Transcanyon Waterline, the system that supplies water from the canyon for use throughout the park. The waterline is currently not operational, leaving the Grand Canyon with limited water reserves and forcing officials to introduce Stage 4 water restrictions on the South Rim.

Under the restrictions, all overnight guest accommodation operated by park concessionaires has been closed for the foreseeable future. This includes El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Phantom Ranch, Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village RV Park. Hotels located outside the park in Tusayan are not affected by the restrictions.

“These measures are crucial for ensuring the safety and sustainability of water resources,” the NPS wrote in a statement. “We are asking residents and visitors to help conserve water by limiting showers to five minutes or less, turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth, flushing toilets selectively, washing laundry with full loads, and reporting leaks to the appropriate offices.”

Camping is also limited. Only dry camping is permitted on the South Rim, with campground water spigots turned off, although bathroom faucets remain operational. Fires are prohibited in the South Rim and inner canyon areas, including wood-burning and charcoal fires.

The park itself remains open for day use, with food and beverage services, the Grand Canyon Clinic and the Post Office continuing to operate, although some services may have reduced hours. 

The Colorado River has also been closed to river traffic until further notice because of metal structures and debris entering the river. Visitors with upcoming river trips have been advised to contact their commercial outfitter or the NPS River Permits office for information specific to their trip.

The flooding occurred during the region’s monsoon season, when intense rainfall can rapidly funnel through the Grand Canyon’s steep, rocky terrain. The Guardian reported that the storm also affected areas scarred by the 2025 Dragon Bravo wildfire, where reduced vegetation can increase runoff. Researchers cited by the newspaper also pointed to drought, warming temperatures and a potentially stronger El Niño as factors that may have contributed to the extreme rainfall.

With further thunderstorms and heavy rainfall possible, the NPS has warned that additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and rapidly changing trail and river conditions could occur.

L’article Deadly Grand Canyon flash flood forces hotel closures and Stage 4 water restrictions est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Although the circumstances of last week’s flash flooding that hit Himalayan valleys along the Nepal-China border weren’t clear initially, it now seems likely that the natural catastrophe was caused by a failing mountainside. When the bedrock beneath a Himalayan glacier gave way, ice and rock fell into the rivers below, with devastating results – at the moment of writing, the death toll has exceeded 1,000, and some 3,900 people remain missing.

Recurring floods

The flash flood of 26 august might have been one of exceptional size but it is not an isolated event. Moreover, climate scientists have been warning for such scenarios for decades and have been studying the mountains in the region for decades. Rising temperatures cause multiple consequences – not only are the glaciers melting, the integral structure of the Himalayan mountains is also being altered.

The Global Mountain Safeguard Research programme (GLOMOS), part of UNU’s Institute for Environment and Human Security, has recently been researching flash floods in the region, from the earliest records through 2024. Since 1950, floods have become five times more frequent.

Generally speaking, rising temperatures lead to melting glaciers, the meltwater of whom is then collected in natural lakes held together by unstable rocks. When those dams break, the water pours into the rivers, leading to flash floods. On 26 August, however, the scenario seems to have been different. Although scientists are not yet sure whether or not a temporary dam maintained the failing bedrock and the ice above for a couple of instants, the whole process was sped up due to the fact that the mountain structure gave way.

“Scientists say thinning and retreating of glaciers can not only cause their collapse but can also rapidly fill up glacial lakes that can then burst out causing floods. They say ice and snow buttress mountain slopes – just like cement keeps buildings intact. When they fast melt, then mountains destabilise and we see increased incidents of rockfalls, landslides, avalanches and debris floods – as we are seeing in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region,” wrote Navin Singh Khadka, Environment correspondent at BBC World Service.

Although it is hard to determine whether or not global warming was directly responsible for the mountain collapse that caused the flash flood, it is nearly impossible to deny that the Himalayan ecosystem has been radically changed by the rising temperatures, from melting ice to failing mountains.

Changing living circumstances

Moreover, in an interview with UN News, Nepal-born climate researcher Dipesh Chapagain also pointed towards a changing human geography in the region. Whereas previously, people had been living on mountains and cultivating the grounds around the rivers, now, many actually live alongside the river. Caused by numerous reasons – including better economic opportunities, easier building, and access to water as higher sources are drying up – this also exposes them to greater risks in case of a flash flood.

“We’d ask the world… to take climate change as one of the major challenges that Nepal and its citizens face, and this has to be a global effort. We request the global community to come together and preserve the Himalayan ecosystem,” stated Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal following the flash flood.

For Chapagain, catastrophes such as the one that took place on 26 August are becoming ever more likely. Even if the global warming is capped, the consequences of the last decades will likely go on for a long time in the region. 

In order to deal with the future, people will thus need to adapt. But governments also have their role to play, especially when it comes to establishing a warning system allowing locals and tourists alike to evacuate and when it comes to aiding the most vulnerable communities to make the adaptations needed to adapt themselves to the rapidly-changing circumstances.

L’article Natural disasters to become more recurrent in the Himalayas, researchers warn est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The tragedy took place along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river, and was at first attributed to an earthquake. However, later seismic analysis by United States geologists suggested a massive landslide had triggered the disaster. Some outlets are speculating that climate change could have intensified both the phenomenon and its consequences.

As well as over 100 Nepalese visitors to the area, over 100 Indian citizens, 54 Americans, 34 Australians, and 33 Brits, including a child as young as 13, are among the missing, Nepal’s tourist board said. Chinese state media In Tibet are reporting at least three dead and 265 missing.

The victims were caught up in what one witness described to The Guardian as “a huge gush of mud.” Some survivors reported clinging to trees and rooftops while their loved ones were washed away. Some experts have suggested that people would have needed to gain at least six metres in elevation to escape the tide of water, sediment, and debris.

Verified videos show dwellings, power infrastructure, roads, and border crossings all affected by a fast-moving wall of sludge, with entire villages engulfed, according to aerial images. At least 28 police officers are missing at the time of writing.

The region where the catastrophe struck is along the Himalayan border, and is popular with Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims, trekkers, and other visitors who reach the site via bus. Tour company staff based in various countries have confirmed they have missing guests, and an Indian firm told press one of their buses had crashed off a mountain road during the land movement.

Embassy staff from the UK, Australia, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland, and the EU are urging any citizens in the flooded areas to “follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories.” A joint statement expressed solidarity with those affected and deep sadness at the “devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas.”

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Due to a combination of monsoon rains, fragile geology, unregulated construction practices, and climate, Nepal records hundreds of landslides and related deaths annually. These risks are most frequent during the June to September monsoon season.

Looking ahead, Chitwan, a jungle safari destination known for its rare species like the one-horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal tiger, and gharial crocodile, is one of several municipalities that continue to be on high flood alert.

L’article Hundreds of tourists missing or dead in Nepal-Tibet flash floods est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

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.

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.

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.

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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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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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.