Urgent travel warning as popular Spanish party islands put on red alert

UK holidaymakers heading to Spain's party islands have reportedly received an urgent travel warning about their trip.

Spain is one of the popular destinations among travellers from the UK, with nearly 15 million visiting the country in 2022. However, people who are set to travel to Spain in the coming days need to be alert about the wildfire situation across the Spanish islands.

Which Spanish islands are on red alert?

Due to the scorching heat in Spain in the ongoing summer, intensified by climate change, a few party islands in the country have been put on high fire alert. Spain's meteorological agency has put the southern and eastern tip of Mallorca at "extreme" risk of wildfires. Meanwhile, other Balearic Islands Ibiza and Menorca have been put on "high alert," according to Evening Standard.

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.

Firefighters have said that Mallorca's wooded areas have become a "tinder box" due to sweltering temperatures over the last few days. The firefighting services in Spain are prepared for any blazes that break out, according to Majorca Daily Bulletin. They are well equipped to deal with forest fires with planes, helicopters and seaplanes and obviously the fire brigade.

Last week, Spain's weather agency issued an extreme weather risk warning for Mallorca as the temperatures went past 40°C on various parts of the island.

Earlier this week, thousands of British travellers were rescued from wildfire-hit Rhodes in Greece as holiday operators continued to cancel flights and vacations. Tourists are also being evacuated from other Greek islands such as Corfu and Evia, where fires have gone off in recent days due to the extreme summer heat.

Foreign Office warns UK travellers about Spain travel

The UK Foreign Office had already warned its people about forest fires in Spain and other neighbouring European countries. It stated that forest fires occur frequently in Spain, including the islands, during the summer months when the mercury regularly goes past 40°C.

"Causing a forest fire is a criminal offence in Spain, even if unintentional. Make sure cigarette ends are properly extinguished, do not light barbecues and do not leave empty bottles behind. You can be heavily fined for not following the rules against lighting outdoor barbecues in forest areas. Make sure you know the rules if considering a barbeque," UK's Foreign Office wrote on their website.

An Italian airport shuts down due to wildfires

It was earlier reported that Italy had put at least 23 cities on red alert due to the severe heatwave. On Tuesday, Italy's Palermo Airport was shut down due to the threat of wildfires. The airport had to be evacuated amid worries that a hospital on the island could be affected if flames continue to get harsher and move fast down the hills towards the Sicilian town.

The ongoing heatwave, known to be the worst-ever in Sicily, has led to fires breaking out. The holiday hotspot's firefights, assisted by airtanker planes, are working hard to control the wildfires. They are making desperate efforts to stop the flames from reaching Via Brasa where there is a fuel depot.

The firefighters in Palermo are putting on double shifts to try and stop the fires from reaching the Cervello hospital, where nearly 200 people are being treated for smoke inhalation. It is understood that the residents of the Sicilian town are also being evacuated from their homes.

With the peak summer travel season underway across Europe, holidaymakers are urged to track long-term weather patterns and forecasts to review holiday times. This could help them avoid periods of extreme weather events, including floods and heat waves.