Child, four, dies as 12 red alerts issued and heatwave spreads

Wales Online

16 hours ago

Child, four, dies as 12 red alerts issued and heatwave spreads
Hundreds of fires are burning in what could turn out to be one of the hottest years on record
People hide in the shade of the Jardin du Carrousel in Paris on August 11, 2025, amid a heatwave in Europe
A heatwave gripping parts of Europe sent temperatures over 40C in southern France and the Western Balkans on Monday, fuelling wildfires, triggering top-level weather alerts and forcing evacuations in several countries across what scientists warn is the world's fastest-warming continent.
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Fires burned in France's Aude wine region, along Bulgaria's southern borders, near Montenegro's capital and coast, and in Turkey's north west — and Hungary recorded record-breaking weekend temperatures. 2025 is predicted to be the second or third-warmest year on record, according to the UK-based Carbon Brief.
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The extreme heat in Europe fits that global pattern but the continent is heating far faster than the rest of the world. Land temperatures have risen about 2.3C above pre-industrial levels, nearly twice the global average, intensifying heatwaves and driving record fire seasons.
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With major outbreaks in Spain, Portugal and deadly blazes in Greece since late June, the burned area is already far above the seasonal norm. On Monday, the French national weather authority, Meteo-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. 'Don't be fooled – this isn't 'normal, it's summer.' It's not normal, it's a nightmare,' agricultural climatologist Serge Zaka told broadcaster 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, cafe terraces stood empty as people sought cooler corners indoors.
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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 40,000 acres last week. Officials say the fire is under control but warn it will not be fully extinguished for weeks, with hot spots still smouldering and at risk of reigniting.
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 heatwave, France's second of the summer, began on Friday and is expected to last all week, carrying into the August 15 holiday weekend. Montenegro reported wildfires near the capital Podgorica and along the Adriatic coast, prompting urgent appeals for help from neighbouring countries.
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Families were evacuated from an area north of the capital as army units worked to protect the ruins of the ancient city of Duklja. Emergency official Nikola Bojanovic described the situation as 'catastrophic', with strong winds driving the flames. Authorities urged residents to conserve drinking water to avoid restrictions.
Bosnia's southern city of Mostar reached 43C, while Croatia's Dubrovnik hit 34C in the morning. In Serbia, farmers on the Suva Planina mountain renewed appeals for emergency water supplies for livestock after streams and ponds dried up.
In Bulgaria, temperatures were expected to exceed 40C Monday on Monday, with maximum fire danger alerts in place. 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.
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In Turkey, a wildfire fuelled by high temperatures and strong winds forced authorities to evacuate holiday homes and a university campus and to suspend maritime traffic in the country's north west.
Sunday brought a new national high of 39.9C on Sunday in the south east of Hungary, breaking a record set in 1948. Budapest also recorded a city record at 38.7C. Authorities imposed a nationwide fire ban amid extreme heat and drought.