Europe: Scorching heat grips the continent
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Europe: Scorching Heat Grips the Continent
Extreme heat is being felt across Europe with more in store over the coming days. Weather forecasters say the phenomenon is becoming more common each year. High temperatures are expected to affect the entire Mediterranean, from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans. Residents are being advised to remain indoors during the hottest part of the day if possible — generally from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., though meteorologists say little cooling should be expected at night over the next week. The Meteo France weather agency declared this week that the country is experiencing its 50th national heatwave since 1947, with several regions under high-temperature alert. In Italy, 21 cities, including the capital, Rome, have been put under extreme temperature alert. Another city on the list is Venice, where billionaire American businessman Jeff Bezos is making a TV presenter his second wife.
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In all, high temperatures are expected to affect the entire Mediterranean, from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans.
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In Andalusia, in southern Spain, temperatures are set to climb to 43 degrees in a heatwave forecast to last until late next week. Spain’s AEMET state weather service has also forecast high temperatures in the country’s northeastern Zaragoza area.
Spain says medical emergency staff expect to see a surge in heatstroke cases among children, the elderly and those with chronic illness.
Temperatures over 40 are also expected in neighboring Portugal, where fire warnings have been given for northern inland areas as well as along the Algarve coast.
Wildfires raging in Greece
In Greece, which is also experiencing its first heatwave of the season with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees, a wildfire has triggered evacuations south of the capital, Athens, where coast guard ships and fire-dousing helicopters are actively fighting the blaze. Patrol boats have been deployed to the area for a potential sea evacuation.
Here, too, high temperatures and strong winds have worsened the situation.
Athens and its surrounding areas remain on high fire alert due to the prevailing conditions.
France fries as Bezos sweats it out in Italy
The Meteo France weather agency declared this week that the country is experiencing its 50th national heatwave since 1947, with several regions under high-temperature alert.
The weather agency said higher surface temperatures in the Mediterranean had become an “aggravating factor,” meaning that daytime temperatures could reach upwards of 39 degrees and little respite should be expected at night.
In Italy, 21 cities, including the capital, Rome, have been put under extreme temperature alert. Another city on the list is Venice, where billionaire American businessman Jeff Bezos is making a TV presenter his second wife among crowds of celebrity guests as well as protesters in the tourist destination.
Across the Adriatic, Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian authorities also issued health warnings as temperatures rose and as wildfires raged in Albania.
Stay inside when heatwaves hit
All across the EU, residents are being advised to remain indoors during the hottest part of the day if possible — generally from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — though meteorologists say little cooling should be expected at night over the next week.
Though early summer heatwaves were known in the past, meteorologists say they are becoming far more frequent as a result of what they say is human-induced climate change.
Statistics from scientists at AEMET in Spain, for instance, documented only two June heatwaves between 1975 and 2000. Nine were recorded between 2000 and 2024.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 27, 2025 10:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Europe: Scorching heat grips the continent – DW – 06
First heatwaves of the summer are hitting Europe, triggering wildfires and health warnings. Weather forecasters say the phenomenon is becoming more common each year. High temperatures are expected to affect the entire Mediterranean, from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans. In Andalusia, in southern Spain, temperatures are set to climb to 43 degrees in a heatwave forecast to last until late next week. In Greece, a wildfire has triggered evacuations south of the capital, Athens, where coast guard ships and fire-dousing helicopters are actively fighting the blaze. Residents are being advised to remain indoors during the hottest part of the day if possible, though meteorologists say little cooling should be expected at night over the coming days.
Extreme heat is being felt across Europe with more in store over the coming days. Though the Wimbledon tennis tournament says, it is bracing for its hottest-ever start with temperatures expected to be around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), southern countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece look set to see temperatures far higher still.
In all, high temperatures are expected to affect the entire Mediterranean, from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans.
In Andalusia, in southern Spain, temperatures are set to climb to 43 degrees in a heatwave forecast to last until late next week. Spain’s AEMET state weather service has also forecast high temperatures in the country’s northeastern Zaragoza area.
Spain says medical emergency staff expect to see a surge in heatstroke cases among children, the elderly and those with chronic illness.
Temperatures over 40 are also expected in neighboring Portugal, where fire warnings have been given for northern inland areas as well as along the Algarve coast.
Authorities say emergency workers expect to treat an increased number of heatstroke victims as temperatures soar Image: Thomas Coex/AFP
Wildfires raging in Greece
In Greece, which is also experiencing its first heatwave of the season with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees, a wildfire has triggered evacuations south of the capital, Athens, where coast guard ships and fire-dousing helicopters are actively fighting the blaze. Patrol boats have been deployed to the area for a potential sea evacuation.
Here, too, high temperatures and strong winds have worsened the situation.
Athens and its surrounding areas remain on high fire alert due to the prevailing conditions.
France fries as Bezos sweats it out in Italy
The Meteo France weather agency declared this week that the country is experiencing its 50th national heatwave since 1947, with several regions under high-temperature alert.
The weather agency said higher surface temperatures in the Mediterranean had become an “aggravating factor,” meaning that daytime temperatures could reach upwards of 39 degrees and little respite should be expected at night.
In Italy, 21 cities, including the capital, Rome, have been put under extreme temperature alert. Another city on the list is Venice, where billionaire American businessman Jeff Bezos is making a TV presenter his second wife among crowds of celebrity guests as well as protesters in the tourist destination.
Across the Adriatic, Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian authorities also issued health warnings as temperatures rose and as wildfires raged in Albania.
How Athens is preparing for wildfires — Focus on Europe To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Stay inside when heatwaves hit
All across the EU, residents are being advised to remain indoors during the hottest part of the day if possible — generally from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — though meteorologists say little cooling should be expected at night over the next week.
Though early summer heatwaves were known in the past, meteorologists say they are becoming far more frequent as a result of what they say is human-induced climate change.
Statistics from scientists at AEMET in Spain, for instance, documented only two June heatwaves between 1975 and 2000. Nine were recorded between 2000 and 2024.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
Highways baking at 70 deg C signal a red-hot summer from China to the US
The coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia. There is even a chance that the season could shatter global high-temperature records. The scorching conditions threaten to tax power grids, wilt crops and send energy prices soaring across three continents. Extreme heat is expected to inflict about US$200 billion (S$257 billion) in annual losses in the US alone by 2030, a number that will more than double by 2050. The absence of El Nino – a warming of the equatorial Pacific that can cause storm-wrecking wind conditions across the Atlantic – also means more hurricanes and tropical storms may develop and grow in the Atlantic and Caribbean. The heat is raising ocean temperatures, boosting the odds of an unusually active hurricane season. It is also elevating the risk of wildfires, with blazes already erupting in Alberta, the epicentre of Canada’s oil industry. It could also leave the Gulf Coast, particularly Texas, vulnerable to more hurricane strikes. The sizzling weather will increase energy demand.
Highways baking at 70 deg C signal a red-hot summer from China to the US
– In northern China, road surfaces have soared to 70 deg C. In California’s Central Valley, temperatures are reaching above 37 deg C . Across much of Spain, the mercury has risen so high that it is prompting warnings for tourists.
Weeks before the official start of the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, signs are emerging that the coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia.
There is even a chance that the season could shatter global high-temperature records, said Dr Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The scorching conditions threaten to tax power grids, wilt crops and send energy prices soaring across three continents.
Hot and dry weather is also elevating the risk of wildfires, with blazes already erupting in Alberta, the epicentre of Canada’s oil industry.
The human and economic consequences are dire: Extreme heat is expected to inflict about US$200 billion (S$257 billion) in annual losses in the US alone by 2030, a number that will more than double by 2050, according to one estimate.
All three northern continents face sweltering temperatures fuelled by climate change – particularly the western and central US and Canada, as well as western and northern Europe, Dr Swain said.
Because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, these regions will also see areas of intense rain and flooding, he said.
“I’d expect to see further instances of extreme to record-shattering downpours and flood events in regions prone to heavy precipitation during the warm season,” Dr Swain said.
In the Atlantic, the heat is raising ocean temperatures, boosting the odds of an unusually active hurricane season.
The absence of El Nino – a warming of the equatorial Pacific that can cause storm-wrecking wind conditions across the Atlantic – also means more hurricanes and tropical storms may develop and grow in the Atlantic and Caribbean, including oil- and gas-producing areas along the US Gulf Coast.
Due to kinks in the summer jet stream, there is a rising chance of derechos – wide arcs of severe thunderstorms that can travel hundreds of miles and cause billions of dollars in damage – across the Midwest and northern Great Plains, said Mr Paul Pastelok, lead US long-range forecaster at AccuWeather.
This turmoil across the continent may also leave the Gulf Coast, particularly Texas, vulnerable to more hurricane strikes.
The sizzling weather will increase energy demand.
About 89 million people across three grids spanning parts of the central US are at elevated risk of power supply shortfalls this summer, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
Power prices across the grid stretching from Chicago to the Mid-Atlantic are likely to rise with sustained heat because of low coal stockpiles, Bank of America analysts led by Mr Francisco Blanch wrote in a note to clients.
Power in the New England region is also vulnerable to spikes, the analysts said.
US natural gas price gains have been muted so far, despite the prospect of hot weather and rising exports of the power plant fuel to Europe and Asia.
But the chances of gas reaching US$4.60 per million British thermal units in 2025 – a jump of more than 30 per cent from current levels – are rising as the heat could limit stockpile increases, leaving the market primed for a rally before winter heating demand kicks in, according to analysts with RBC Capital Markets led by Mr Christopher Louney.
Extreme heat also threatens to wither crops and shrivel rivers, raising food prices as the cost of goods and services remains elevated.
Drought has been intensifying in areas of the US where soya bean, corn or wheat ar e grown. If parched conditions persist, the Mississippi River’s water levels could drop, roiling barge traffic that is crucial to transporting crops across the country.
Dry Europe
Across Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, little rainfall and early drying have set the stage for intense heatwaves, droughts and dangerous wildfire conditions, commercial meteorologists and government forecasters say.
Forecast models indicate high-pressure weather patterns emerging and enduring this summer, similar to those that plagued the continent during the first few months of 2025.
Those patterns suppressed wind speeds and cloud cover, leading to low wind generation and record solar power in Europe – a scenario likely to repeat this summer, according to Atmospheric G2.
The high pressure is also likely to block North Atlantic ocean moisture, boosting the risk of heatwaves and worsening drought, said Mr Andrew Pedrini, a meteorologist with the weather analytics firm.
“I personally fear that we will hear a lot about extremes this summer,” he said.
In Portugal and Spain last week, one of the hottest air masses in more than three decades pushed in from Africa, sending temperatures above 37.7 deg C.
The heat comes after an April 28 blackout that left the Iberian Peninsula without electricity for hours, hitting public transport, telecommunications systems and other services.
With high pressure isolating regions from the cooling effect of moist westerly winds, temperatures in central and southern Europe could climb especially high.
While that pattern is expected to reduce the chances of rain, rising heat could supercharge storms that do manage to form with torrential rain and damaging hail.
Though the Rhine River’s water levels have improved after rain in recent weeks, a recurrence of drought could upend a crucial trade route and send barge rates soaring.
Long-term forecast models show conditions could support heavy rain in western Norway and northern England from June through August, according to data from Europe’s Copernicus satellite programme.
Asia outlook
In Asia, Japan will likely have a warmer-than-normal summer, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
South-east Asia will also be hotter than average, the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre said.
China, with the exception of some far northern areas, is expected to bake in June as well, the China Meteorological Administration said.
Drought in the northern part of the country has hit the wheat crop during a key growth period, threatening output of a staple food grain just as Beijing remains entangled in a trade war with the US, a major agricultural products supplier.
Although rain is forecast in the region, providing the parched farm fields with some relief, the quick swing from dry to wet raises the risk of floods, landslides and crop damage.
Already, intense heat in parts of China has sent asphalt temperatures surging.
The National Energy Administration expects peak electricity demand to be about 100 gigawatts higher this summer than in 2024, the equivalent of needing to turn on all the power plants in Britain at once.
Across the Northern Hemisphere, the extreme heat is a reflection of how much warmer the earth is compared with a few decades ago, Dr Swain said.
Since 1959, Europe in particular, but also parts of the Pacific North-west, north-eastern Canada, as well as parts of Mexico, Africa and the Middle East, have seen a marked increase in summer heat.
“An increase in heat extremes is the most obvious symptom of climate change,” said Dr Karen McKinnon, a professor who studies the statistics behind climate change at UCLA.
“Even seemingly small changes in temperatures of a few degrees can make summers feel substantially more extreme.” BLOOMBERG
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Europe heatwave: 111F African heatwave to boil continent
Temperatures expected to reach 40C in some parts of Europe on Wednesday and Thursday. The heatwave is expected to last for at least a week, with temperatures expected to rise to 50C in parts of the south of the country. The European Commission has issued a red alert for the whole of Europe, with the highest temperatures expected in the south.
Several European countries have issued weather warnings for hot temperatures as they remain in the grip of a long-lasting heatwave.
The Italian Health Ministry slapped a red warning, its highest, on 12 cities on Tuesday, as temperatures reached 40C (104F) in some areas.
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The Ministry already announced that on Wednesday 13 cities will be affected by the red alert, which urges people to be careful as this prolonged heat could have a negative impact not just on vulnerable people but also on young and healthy Italians.
Speaking about the weather, a Spanish tourist in Rome named Carmen Diaz told AP: “It’s hellishly hot.” Using a fan to stave off the heat, she added: “These fans help a little too, but it’s really hot.”
The hot air coming from the African continent is pushing to boiling point also Greece, where certain forms of outdoor work including deliveries and construction have been banned during the central, and warmest, hours of the day amid health fears as temperatures hit 40C.
The Balkans are also experiencing sweltering conditions, with Croatia reporting 30C (86F) in the holiday hotspot Dubrovnik, the highest-ever temperatures of the Adriatic Sea.