A forest fire erupted close to Palermo Airport on the Italian island of Sicily, resulting in the airport’s immediate closure. The blaze, originating near the city of Cinisi, spread towards Falcone-Borsellino Airport, leading authorities to suspend all air traffic promptly, as reported by Politico. Sicily has been experiencing scorching temperatures, impacting a significant part of Southern Europe.
According to the Italian news agency Ansa, the mercury soared to 47.6°C on the island’s eastern coast in Catania. Scientists noted that the unprecedented heat, posing a threat to lives and fueling forest fires this summer, would have been nearly impossible without human-induced global warming. The first week of July 2023 recorded the hottest temperatures ever documented worldwide, and there is a high probability that July will witness the highest global temperatures in the past 120,000 years.
The escalating temperatures on Earth are complicating aircraft takeoffs at certain airports, presenting an additional challenge for civil aviation.
