Southeastern Europe Battles Heatwave, Wildfires Erupt

Southeastern Europe is grappling with the severe impacts of a record-breaking heatwave that has gripped the continent for over a week. The region is experiencing soaring temperatures, leading to hundreds of excess deaths and a heightened risk of wildfires. In Croatia, a red alert was issued for several regions, including the capital Zagreb and tourist hotspots like Split and Dubrovnik. Firefighters, supported by aircraft, were battling a wildfire on the island of Vis.

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The Balkans felt the impact on Monday of the record-breaking heatwave that has caused hundreds of excess deaths and disrupted daily life across the continent for more than a week, with growing concerns over the spread of wildfires.

Neighboring Serbia braced for temperatures to reach 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit). Further south, Albania managed to contain a wildfire that had scorched hectares of land near the village of Klos. Scientists have identified the heatwave, which began on June 20, as the worst recorded in Europe, disrupting power generation, damaging infrastructure, and straining healthcare systems.

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The areas affected look ‌broadly the same as in the first wave, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and to some extent Britain.

France has reported approximately 1,000 excess deaths, primarily among the elderly, with authorities warning the toll is likely to rise. The extreme heat conditions have been linked to human-caused climate change, making such high night-time temperatures significantly more probable. Forecasters predict temperatures will rise again across Western Europe, including France, Spain, Germany, and Italy, from July 5-6, increasing the risk of forest fires, though localized rainstorms may offer some mitigation.

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With ⁠the extreme heat ⁠the risk of forest fires increases, but we are also seeing a lot of rainstorms, which obviously mitigates that risk.