UK Foreign Office offers another urgent warning for holidaymakers travelling to Spain

A new warning has been given to travellers who are planning to visit Spain in the ongoing summer holiday season.

Spain is one of the most popular holiday hotspots among tourists from the UK. With school vacations finally underway, thousands of British families may be gearing up for a trip to Spain in the coming weeks. Last year, nearly 15 million travellers from the UK vacationed in Spain.

FCDO's latest warning

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) keeps sending out travel advisories for its people, especially during a busy travel period. In a new alert on their official website, the UK Foreign Office has warned holidaymakers that they could be hit with altitude sickness in Spain and may also be in danger when entering the water.

"Altitude sickness may be a risk in some of the higher mountain ranges in Spain, particularly in the regions of Granada, Huesca and Tenerife. More information about altitude sickness is available from the TravelHealthPro website," FCDO wrote in their latest advisory.

According to the Spanish National Health System, altitude sickness often develops between six and 24 hours after reaching altitudes more than 2,500m above sea level. The symptoms of altitude sickness are quite similar to those of a bad hangover and include a headache, feeling and being sick, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and shortness of breath.

Many people drown in Spain every year

The FCDO also pointed out that every year, many people drown in the sea and in swimming pools in Spain. The organisation also urged elders to supervise kids even if they know how to swim or a lifeguard is present.

"Take care when swimming in the sea. Some beaches, especially around Spanish islands, may have strong undercurrents. Avoid swimming at beaches that are close to rivers. Do not dive into unknown water as hidden rocks or shallow depths can cause serious injury or death.

Explaining further, the FCDO added that many beaches have a flag system and tourists need to ensure they understand the system and follow any warnings (a red flag means you must not enter the water).

"Take extra care and seek local knowledge if there are no lifeguards, flags or signs. If you are walking along unmanned beaches, be aware that waves can come in further than expected and have strong undertows," added FCDO.

It was earlier reported that due to the scorching heatwave across Spain, some of its party islands have been put on fire alert. Spain's meteorological agency has put the southern and eastern tip of Mallorca at "extreme" risk of wildfires, while other Balearic Islands Ibiza and Menorca have been put on "high alert".

The red alert in Mallorca has also stretched into regions close to the holiday towns of Palmanova, Santa Ponsa and Magalluf. This alert in Spain has come after islands in Greece and Italy were struck by ferocious forest fires.

After Greece and Italy, wildfires reach Turkey

Meanwhile, Turkey has become the latest country to be struck by wildfires, following destructive blazes in the Greek islands of Corfu and Rhodes and the Italian island of Sicily.

Forest fires in Turkey's holiday hotspot Antalya have so far seen plenty of evacuations and six people being hospitalised for smoke inhalation. In recent days, temperatures in Turkey have gone past 40°C and more than a thousand acres of forest have been destroyed by fires in the past week.

Despite the wildfires, the UK Foreign Office is so far not advising people against travelling to Turkey. However, the FCDO has reminded the UK travellers to ensure they have "appropriate travel insurance" which will cover expenses in an emergency, in case they have to be evacuated from their hotel in Turkey.

"Forest fires happen frequently in Turkey during summer. Take care when visiting or driving through woodland areas. You could get a fine or prison sentence for lighting a fire of any kind in forbidden areas. This includes barbeques and discarding cigarette butts in the woods," FCDO wrote in their advisory.