Up to 42 deg C: Heatwave triggers weather and wildfire alerts across Europe
PARIS – Europe is bracing itself for wildfire threats and scorching weather, as a heatwave
engulfs the continent this week.
The highest red heat alerts have been issued for 12 departments in south-west France, where temperatures as high as 43 deg C are forecast for areas near Bordeaux and Toulouse on Aug 11 and 12.
Amber heat warnings are in place for a swathe of the Mediterranean, from Spain and Italy to Greece as a high-pressure system is amplified by former tropical storm Dexter.
Climate change is
increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent. That is triggering more extreme weather events, including the deadly wildfires that ravaged Aude in south-west France last week.
Those fires, which destroyed houses and vineyards, killing one person and injuring 25, were
brought under control on Aug 10, the local authorities said.
However, about 1,300 firefighters are still working to fully extinguish the blaze, which burned 400 sq km, an area larger than Paris.
Wildfire risks are very high across much of Greece, including Athens and the surrounding Attica region, along with the largest islands of Crete and Evia. Temperatures are set to reach 41 deg C in parts of the mainland.
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Strong winds drove more than 90 wildfires across Greece over the weekend, and two electricity workers were detained on Aug 9 over alleged negligence after a severed cable sparked a blaze in east Attica that burnt about 16 sq km.
The authorities have also issued red alerts in Croatia and Serbia, where temperatures of up to 38 deg C will raise fire risks and stress power grids.
Southern Spain could reach 42 deg C, according to state forecaster Aemet.
Temperatures in London could hit the mid-30s on Aug 12, as the heatwave spreads across parts of Britain, according to the Met Office.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow weather alerts for all regions south of Yorkshire and warned that overnight lows in many areas might not drop below 20 deg C.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in Europe.
PHOTO: EPA
Germany will also be impacted, with temperatures in the Upper Rhine climbing to 38 deg C this week.
Cooling demand is forecast to surge in France during the heatwave, data from Atmospheric G2 and Bloomberg models show.
Electricite de France has said it will likely need to curb output from nuclear plants along the Garonne and Rhone rivers, as high temperatures compromise reactor cooling procedures.
On Aug 11, it said it planned to keep one Golfech unit in operation to meet electricity demand. BLOOMBERG
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Straits Times
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- Straits Times
Same mission, new millennium
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox From financing rubber traders to propelling new economy businesses: 148 years on, international connectivity remains at the core for HSBC as it supports Singapore's remarkable growth as a global financial hub 'HSBC's strength has been understanding that global connectivity is not just about moving capital – it is about building bridges between ambition and opportunity, such that in an increasingly fragmented world, doors to growth stay open,' says Wong Kee Joo, chief executive officer of HSBC Singapore. WHEN HSBC first set up shop along the bustling Singapore River in 1877, its clerks were busy financing rubber shipments bound for distant shores. In 2025, their successors are financing new economy businesses bound for unfamiliar markets, while exploring quantum computing's potential and tapping on artificial intelligence to revolutionise banking. The cargo may have changed, but the bank's mission has not. 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When completed in 2022, the acquisition of AXA Singapore also made HSBC the only bank with an integrated insurance entity, enabling it to provide a broader set of solutions to more retail and commercial customers. Acquiring real estate private equity firm Silk Road Property Partners in early 2024 also expanded HSBC Asset Management's Asian real estate platform and alternative investment offerings to institutional and high net worth clients. Now, HSBC is leveraging artificial intelligence and investing in quantum computing. It has established a quantum centre of excellence in Singapore where scientists work to develop patents and products that could transform portfolio optimisation, fraud detection and cybersecurity. 'We've got tradition, but we're also very strategic with a vision for the future and the customer at the centre of what we do,' Wong says of these future-focused investments. Quantum computing is one of the ways HSBC is collaborating with the government to pilot industry initiatives. It was the only international bank to join the Monetary Authority of Singapore, other local banks, and technology players in 2024 to trial quantum key distribution solutions seeking to address quantum computing's threats to cybersecurity. Sustainable leadership for Singapore and the community In another collaboration, Wong co-chairs the Singapore Sustainable Finance Association, launched in 2024 as the first cross-sector body advancing Singapore as a global sustainable finance hub. Members span financial services, corporates, academia, non-governmental organisations and industry bodies – discussing everything from blended finance to sustainable finance taxonomies. HSBC partnered with Temasek Holdings to launch sustainable infrastructure debt financing company Pentagreen Capital in 2022, and invested in electric vehicle charging operator SP Mobility in 2025. 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Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
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