Trapped tourists are being evacuated from beaches by private yachts as Turkey’s wildfires rage

Tourists in Turkey are being evacuated from beaches due to raging wildfires amid a severe heatwave with temperatures rising above 40C.

Around 100 fires broke out this week across southern and western Turkey, Reuters reported, and at least six people, including two firefighters, have died.

Thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes, and tourists were ordered to evacuate hotels. They gathered on beaches of their resorts where they were picked up by boats, including private vessels, The Guardian reported.

Coastguard vessels picking up tourists were joined by boats and yachts in the rescue effort, according to The Guardian, which cited Turkish media…

Germany’s floods highlight need for urgent climate action

As scientists warn that increased flooding marks the end of a stable climate, we must step up our efforts to minimize the damage caused by extreme weather events, write Ban Ki-moon and Patrick Verkooijen.

The recent catastrophic flooding across the Rhine basin and into Belgium and the Netherlands must be taken as a warning by countries across Europe and elsewhere of the increasingly urgent need to do more to adapt to and prepare for climate change.

The full cost of the damage is not yet known, but repairs are likely to run into billions and take many months.

While it is too early to know precisely the extent of climate change, scientists fear that damage caused by emissions is producing even worse extreme weather events than predicted. Brutal heatwaves seen recently along the western seaboard of the United States and Canada, as well as in Siberia and other parts of the world, are further evidence of an increasingly hostile climate — and the need to adapt to it, fast…