A heatwave swept through parts of Europe on Monday, breaking temperature records at weather stations in southern Franceand sparking wildfire risks while Bulgaria battled nearly 200 blazes. Scientists warn Europe is warming at nearly twice the global rate, with 2025 set to be among the hottest years ever recorded.
Aheatwavegripped parts of Europe on Monday, sending temperatures up to 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 Fahrenheit) in southernFranceandincreasing risks of wildfires in wine country, whileBulgariasuffered blazes along its southern borders andHungarysaw record-breaking weekend temperatures.
Temperature records were broken at four weather stations in southern France. In the southwestern city of Bordeaux, the mercury reached 41.6 degrees Celsius at around 4pm compared with a previous record of 41.2C in 2019. All-time records were also broken at meteorological stations in Bergerac, Cognac and Saint Girons, according to the national weather service Mto France.
A 4-year-old Romanian boy died days after being found unconscious in the family's car in Sardinia. The boy was airlifted to a Rome hospital but died of irreversible brain damage, the hospital told AFP on Monday.
Scientists sayEuropeis becoming the worlds fastest-warming continent.
According to the UK-based Carbon Brief, 2025 is predicted to be the second- or third-warmest year on record. Europes land temperatures have risen about 2.3C above pre-industrial levels, nearly twice the global rate, intensifying heatwaves, the EUs Copernicus climate service reports. EU data show burned area across the continent is already far above the long-term average this summer, withmajor outbreaksinSpain,Portugaland deadly blazes inGreecesince late June.
TheUK's Met Office expects a heatwave, the fourth this summer, to peak around 33C (90F) inLondonon Tuesday. The UK Health Security Agency issued a yellow health alert for older adults and those with medical conditions.
Read moreResearchers race to predict wildfire behaviour as France battles biggest blaze in decades
In Frances Aude department, a patchwork of vineyards and Mediterranean scrubland, hundreds of firefighters remained in the rolling wine country guarding the edges of a massive,deadly blaze that scorched 16,000 hectares last week. Officials say the fire is under control but warn it will not be fully extinguished for weeks, with hot spots still smoldering and at risk of reigniting.
On Monday, the French national weather authority, Mto-France, placed 12 departments on red alert, the countrys highest heat warning, anticipating exceptional heat stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean plains. Forty-one other departments were under lower-level orange alerts, as was the neighbouring microstate ofAndorra, between France andSpain.
Dont be fooled this isnt normal, its summer. Its not normal, its a nightmare, agricultural climatologist Serge Zaka told BFMTV from Montauban in Frances Tarn-et-Garonne department, where the blistering heat pressed relentlessly throughout the day.
Social media images showed shuttered streets in Valence, residents shielding windows with foil to reflect the light, and tourists huddling under umbrellas along the Garonne in Toulouse. Across the south, caf terraces stood empty as people sought cooler corners indoors.
The red alert in France has been issued only eight times since it was created in 2004 after a deadly summer the year before. It is reserved for extreme, prolonged heat with major health risks and the potential to disrupt daily life. The designation gives local officials powers to cancel outdoor events, close public venues and alter school or summer camp schedules.
The heatwave, Frances second of the summer, began Friday and is expected to last all week, carrying into the Aug. 15 holiday weekend. It is already pushing northward, with 38C (100.4F)forecast in the Centre-Val de Loire region and up to 34C (93.2F) inParis.
InBulgaria, temperatures were expected to exceed 40C (104F) on Monday, with maximum fire danger alerts in place.
Nearly 200 fires have been reported; most have been brought under control, localised and extinguished, but the situation remains very challenging, said Alexander Dzhartov, head of the national fire safety unit. Three major blazes continue along the borders with Greece andTurkey, including one near Strumyani that reignited after three weeks. More than 100firefightersand emergency personnel are battling flames in rugged terrain unreachable by vehicles, supported by army helicopters and two Swedish aircraft.
Sunday brought a new national high of 39.9C (104F) on Sunday in the southeast, breaking a record set in 1948. Budapest also recorded a city record at 38.7C (101.6F).
Authorities imposed a nationwide fire ban amid extreme heat and drought.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Originally published on France24
