Europe is experiencing a devastating heatwave, prompting the highest alerts across countries including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Greece, and the UK. Public life has been severely disrupted, with schools closed and emergency services on standby.
In France, a ‘red alert’ was issued in 16 regions including Paris, and an ‘orange alert’ in 68 others. The climate ministry described the situation as “unprecedented.” The heatwave sparked forest fires in southern Corbières, forcing evacuations and highway closures. Nearly 200 schools have been partially or fully shut down.
Italy has placed 21 cities such as Rome, Milan, and Venice on high alert as heat-related illnesses surged by 10 percent. In the UK, Heathrow recorded a record 33.1°C, making it Wimbledon’s hottest day on record. In Spain, severe heat is affecting daily life, with residents struggling to eat or sleep.
Portugal issued high alerts for seven districts including Lisbon, while Germany’s Rhine River has fallen to levels disrupting cargo shipping. Turkey is battling fires that have destroyed homes and displaced over 50,000 people. The Balkans recorded temperatures reaching 42°C, with Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia, and North Macedonia all facing extreme heat.
The heatwave is also impacting nature, melting mountain glaciers and causing poisonous lionfish to appear in the Adriatic Sea. Dry air is worsening soil moisture, intensifying the heat’s impact.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk warned that this heatwave highlights the urgency of preparing for climate change. The UN Climate Panel confirmed that rising greenhouse gases are driving such extreme events, which will become more frequent and severe if fossil fuel use is not reduced and renewable energy adoption accelerated.
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