Southern Europe Endures Deadly Heatwave and Widespread Wildfires

Southern Europe Endures Deadly Heatwave and Widespread Wildfires
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Southern Europe is facing extreme heat of up to 44°C, creating what scientists describe as a “molotov cocktail” of conditions fuelling vast wildfires across the Mediterranean, The Guardian reported.

In Italy, where Florence is expected to reach 40°C later this week, a four-year-old boy died from heatstroke after being found unconscious in a car in Sardinia. Authorities issued red alert warnings for seven cities, including Bologna and Florence.

In France, more than half the country is under heatwave alerts, with 12 regions on the highest red warning. Spain’s Aemet weather agency has issued “extreme danger” notices in Zaragoza and the Basque Country, with most other areas under yellow or orange warnings.

Firefighters across the region are battling major blazes. In France, the largest wildfire since 1949 was contained on Sunday, leaving one dead and injuring 25 others. Fires have also spread in Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia, where officials warned of extreme fire risk.

In Spain, fires in León, Zamora, and Galicia have forced over 1,000 evacuations, with experts linking the surge in fires to a wet spring followed by intense heat, wind, and drought. Scientists warn climate change is intensifying these events.

Europe has warmed nearly twice as fast as the global average, with hot, dry air masses and high summer sunshine driving temperatures even higher. In Spain, the wildfires have threatened Las Médulas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, destroying parts of its centuries-old chestnut groves.

Experts say changing landscapes with increased vegetation, combined with prolonged extreme heat, are making fires more widespread, intense, and dangerous. Authorities across the continent continue to urge caution as temperatures are expected to remain high in the coming days, with records likely to be broken in parts of France and Spain.