A powerful heat wave continues to scorch much of Europe, pushing temperatures to historic highs and prompting widespread health warnings, emergency alerts, and wildfires across several countries. From the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans, authorities are scrambling to mitigate the impacts of an extreme weather event that experts link to the growing influence of climate change.
France remains one of the hardest-hit nations, with 84 of its 96 regions placed under an orange alert, the country’s second-highest warning level. Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher described the scale of the alerts as “unprecedented.” More than 200 schools have been closed or partially shut down due to the heat, as temperatures in parts of the country soar beyond 40 degrees Celsius.
In Spain, El Granado in Andalucía recorded 46 degrees Celsius over the weekend, potentially setting a new national record for June. Portugal’s central town of Mora experienced a similar spike at 46.6 degrees Celsius, while seven districts, including Lisbon, remain under the highest alert level.
Italy has also escalated its emergency response, placing 21 cities, including Rome, Milan, and Venice, on its highest level of heat alert. Hospital emergency departments have seen a 10% increase in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine. In Tor Vergata, a suburb of Rome, afternoon temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius.
The United Kingdom, now in its second official heat wave of the year, saw temperatures climb towards 34 degrees Celsius, with southeastern England forecast to experience even higher levels. The UK Met Office warned of tropical nights, where temperatures remain above 20 degrees Celsius, offering little overnight relief.
Across the Balkans, soaring temperatures have triggered wildfires in Croatia and Turkey, destroyed homes near Athens, and set new records in cities such as Sarajevo and Skopje. Germany also braced for temperatures approaching 38 degrees Celsius while falling water levels on the Rhine River disrupted freight operations.
As Europe grapples with relentless heat, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk warned that climate-related disasters “threaten our rights to life, to health, [and] to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” emphasizing that the heatwave highlights the urgent need for climate adaptation and a shift away from fossil fuels.
