Wildfires Grip Europe as Heatwaves Persist

(MENAFN) Europe is enduring an unprecedented heatwave, with temperatures soaring past 40°C, transforming the continent into a furnace and sparking a surge in destructive wildfires that have prompted evacuations, claimed lives, and stretched emergency services to their limits.

Across the region, the searing heat—coupled with dry winds and minimal rainfall—has created volatile fire conditions from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans. The widespread blazes have already killed several people and displaced thousands.

In France, meteorologists reported historic highs in the southwest before the heat expanded to central and northeastern areas. Meteo France stated in a press release on Tuesday: "Often remarkable, even unprecedented maximum temperatures, often 12 degrees above normal levels, were reached this Monday."

Southern Croatia shattered temperature records, with Šibenik reaching 39.5°C and Dubrovnik hitting 38.9°C. Wildfires erupted along the coast and spread to neighboring Balkan countries, compounding regional firefighting efforts.

Spain remains one of the hardest-hit nations. A lightning-induced blaze near Madrid resulted in one fatality, forced hundreds to evacuate, and consumed around 1,000 hectares. In Tarifa, a coastal resort town, another fire forced 2,000 people to flee, while additional infernos in Zamora and Castilla y León displaced hundreds more. A fire activity map from a local broadcaster shows dozens of red and orange markers denoting active fires and affected areas.

Spain is grappling with its tenth consecutive day of record-breaking temperatures, peaking at 45°C, and is requesting assistance from other EU nations. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska was quoted by Cadena SER on Wednesday, saying that the country is prepared to request additional support from European allies, including more firefighting personnel.

In Portugal, more than 1,300 firefighters and 16 aircraft are currently deployed to fight multiple wildfires in the north, including one blaze that has been burning for over 10 days.

Meanwhile, major fires have ignited in northwestern Türkiye, Albania, and Montenegro, blanketing towns in thick smoke. One Albanian man and a Montenegrin soldier died while fighting the flames. In Greece, the heat-fueled crisis has forced emergency evacuations at numerous tourist destinations.

With temperatures still climbing and forecasts showing little relief, officials across the continent are warning that the worst may not be over.

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