A record number of heat alerts have been issued across France and much of southern and eastern Europe as an intense heatwave continues to sweep the continent, threatening lives, disrupting services, and sparking wildfires.
As of Monday, 84 out of France’s 96 mainland departments are under an orange alert—the country’s second-highest heat warning level—in what Climate Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher described as an “unprecedented” situation. Nearly 200 schools across the country have either closed or scaled back operations in response to the heat.
The effects are being felt far beyond France. Heat warnings are in place across Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the UK, and Balkan nations including Croatia, Bosnia, and North Macedonia. Emergency services are on standby across the region, and residents are being urged to stay indoors during peak afternoon temperatures.
Over the weekend, Spain and Portugal experienced their hottest June days ever recorded. Temperatures reached 46°C in El Granado, Andalucía, on Saturday, and climbed to 46.6°C in Mora, central Portugal, on Sunday. Seven Portuguese districts, including the capital Lisbon, remain on the highest alert level.
Italy has placed 21 cities, including Rome, Milan, and Venice, on red alert as heatstroke-related hospital admissions rise. “We’ve seen a 10% increase in heatstroke cases across emergency rooms,” said Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine.
In Germany, the Meteorological Service has warned that temperatures could soar to nearly 38°C this week, while in the UK, parts of England may see temperatures above 34°C—potentially one of the hottest June days on record.
In the Balkans, the situation is similarly dire. Sarajevo hit a record 38.8°C on Thursday, while Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, recorded 42°C on Friday. Slovenia also reported its hottest-ever June day. In Greece, coastal wildfires near Athens destroyed homes and forced evacuations, as temperatures hovered near 40°C. Fires have also raged in Turkey’s Seferihisar district and Croatia’s coastline.
Beyond immediate health risks, the heatwave is compounding environmental and economic pressures. Lower water levels in Germany’s Rhine River are limiting cargo transport, driving up shipping costs. Elevated sea temperatures in the Adriatic are encouraging the spread of invasive species like the venomous lionfish. Meanwhile, fragile alpine glaciers continue to shrink at alarming rates.
Climate experts warn that such extreme weather events are increasingly being fueled by human-induced climate change. Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading, said rising greenhouse gas levels are making it harder for the Earth to release excess heat. “The warmer, thirstier atmosphere is more effective at drying soils, meaning heatwaves are intensifying,” he explained.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk emphasised the broader implications, telling the UN Human Rights Council: “Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts, and wildfires threaten our rights to life, health, and a clean, sustainable environment.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that without swift global action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, extreme heat events will become more frequent, severe, and prolonged. The current European heatwave, experts say, is yet another stark reminder of the urgent need for climate adaptation and mitigation measures worldwide.
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