Posted by #Palermo#airport in #Sicily#Italy last night: "Aeroporto chiuso fino alle 8 di oggi. Un incendio sviluppatosi sopra Cinisi a causa del vento di Scirocco è arrivato fino al perimetro dello scalo aereo. " #aeroporto#closed#wildfire
" #Italy wildfires encircle #Palermo as temperatures hit 47C
#Sicilian airport shuts temporarily as extreme heatwave forces hundreds to flee homes
Wildfires driven by an extreme heatwave have encircled Palermo after temperatures in the Sicilian city climbed to 47C (117F) on Monday.
Local authorities closed the airport temporarily and part of the motorway as more than 55 wildfires were reported on the island. Hundreds of firefighters from other regions in Italy were due to arrive to help battle the flames.
An 88-year-old woman was reported to have died in San Martino delle Scale, a few miles from the Sicilian capital, after disruption caused by the fires prevented emergency services from reaching her in time.
“We have never seen anything like it,” a San Martino delle Scale resident told Italy’s Ansa news agency. “We were surrounded by fire. We could not go anywhere. We spent the night in the square. These were terrible moments.”
A fire broke out early Tuesday on the Italian island of Sicily near Palermo's airport, forcing it to temporarily shut down.
The blaze reached the edge of the Falcone Borsellino Airport, forcing authorities to halt all air traffic until 11:00. Pictures from the scene show soaring flames near the airport perimeter.
Sicily has faced scorching temperatures, amid a powerful heat wave that has impacted much of Southern Europe.
Via ScottDuncanWX@twitter.com: #Palermo in #Sizilien hat heute den bisherigen #Hitzerekord um mehr als 2°C übertroffen. Der bisherige Rekord lag bei 44,8°C im August 1999.
Das Observatorium verfügt über Wetterdaten, die bis ins Jahr 1791 zurückreichen. Es ist sehr bezeichnend, dass dieser Rekord um so viel höher ausfällt.