Major Sicily airport shuts due to huge wildfire

A fire broke out early Tuesday on the Italian island of Sicily near Palermo’s airport, forcing it to temporarily shut down.

The blaze, which started above the town of Cinisi, reached the edge of the Falcone Borsellino Airport, forcing authorities to halt all air traffic until 11 a.m., the airport announced on social media, as pictures from the scene showed soaring flames near the airport perimeter.

Sicily has faced scorching temperatures, amid a powerful heat wave that has impacted much of Southern Europe. On the Italian island, the mercury reached 47.6C on Monday in Catania on the east coast, according to Italian newswire Ansa.

The sizzling heat threatening lives and fueling wildfires this summer would have been “virtually impossible” without man-made global warming, scientists said on Tuesday.