Extreme heatwave sweeps Europe, fuelling the risk wildfires in France
Scientists say Europe is becoming the world's fastest-warming continent.
According to the UK-based Carbon Brief, 2025 is predicted to be the second- or third-warmest year on record. Europe's land temperatures have risen about 2.3°C above pre-industrial levels, nearly twice the global rate, intensifying heatwaves, the EU's Copernicus climate service reports. EU data show burned area across the continent is already far above the long-term average this summer, with major outbreaks in Spain, Portugal and deadly blazes in Greece since late June.
The UK 's Met Office expects a heatwave, the fourth this summer, to peak around 33°C (90°F) in London on Tuesday. The UK Health Security Agency issued a yellow health alert for older adults and those with medical conditions.
In France's Aude department, a patchwork of vineyards and Mediterranean scrubland, hundreds of firefighters remained in the rolling wine country guarding the edges of a massive, deadly blaze that scorched 16,000 hectares last week. Officials say the fire is under control but warn it will not be fully extinguished for weeks, with hot spots still smoldering and at risk of reigniting.
On Monday, the French national weather authority, Météo-France, placed 12 departments on red alert, the country's highest heat warning, anticipating exceptional heat stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean plains. Forty-one other departments were under lower-level orange alerts, as was the neighbouring microstate of Andorra, between France and Spain.
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'Don't be fooled – this isn't 'normal, it's summer.' It's not normal, it's a nightmare,' agricultural climatologist Serge Zaka told BFMTV from Montauban in France's Tarn-et-Garonne department, where the blistering heat pressed relentlessly throughout the day.
Social media images showed shuttered streets in Valence, residents shielding windows with foil to reflect the light, and tourists huddling under umbrellas along the Garonne in Toulouse. Across the south, café terraces stood empty as people sought cooler corners indoors.
The red alert in France has been issued only eight times since it was created in 2004 after a deadly summer the year before. It is reserved for extreme, prolonged heat with major health risks and the potential to disrupt daily life. The designation gives local officials powers to cancel outdoor events, close public venues and alter school or summer camp schedules.
The heatwave, France's second of the summer, began Friday and is expected to last all week, carrying into the Aug. 15 holiday weekend. It is already pushing northward, with 38°C (100.4°F) forecast in the Centre-Val de Loire region and up to 34°C (93.2°F) in Paris.
In Bulgaria, temperatures were expected to exceed 40°C (104°F) on Monday, with maximum fire danger alerts in place.
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Nearly 200 fires have been reported; most have been brought under control, localised and extinguished, but the situation remains 'very challenging', said Alexander Dzhartov, head of the national fire safety unit. Three major blazes continue along the borders with Greece and Turkey, including one near Strumyani that reignited after three weeks. More than 100 firefighters and emergency personnel are battling flames in rugged terrain unreachable by vehicles, supported by army helicopters and two Swedish aircraft.
Sunday brought a new national high of 39.9°C (104°F) on Sunday in the southeast, breaking a record set in 1948. Budapest also recorded a city record at 38.7°C (101.6°F).
Authorities imposed a nationwide fire ban amid extreme heat and drought.
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France 24
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Euronews
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