Europe is bracing for another week of extreme heat, with temperatures expected to intensify across large parts of western and southern Europe towards the middle and latter part of the week. Current forecasts put temperatures at around 40°C in Madrid, 39°C in Paris and Rome, and 35°C in London by Thursday, while Athens is expected to remain above 30°C amid strong winds that could further aggravate fire risks.
Europe has already struggled through successive heatwaves this summer, exacerbating drought conditions and wildfires across Spain, Portugal, France and Greece. Western Europe recorded its hottest combined June-July period on record, with an average temperature of 21.62°C, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.
The wildfire season has consequently intensified dramatically. According to the EU’s European Forest Fire Information System, at least 434,976 hectares had already burned across the EU by 29 July, exceeding both the area burned by the same point during the record 2025 season and the 20-year average. Spain and France have battled major fires, while Greece has also experienced destructive fires around Athens that forced evacuations and required international firefighting assistance.
The prolonged heat and drought are also beginning to affect European infrastructure. Falling river levels and increasingly warm water have disrupted shipping and placed electricity generation under pressure, with power stations in several European countries forced to reduce output or temporarily shut down because of insufficient or excessively warm cooling water.
In Malta, heatwaves have once again caused heightened electricity demand, leading to wide-ranging power outages across much of the islands, affecting households and businesses.
Feature image by European Space Agency of 2019.
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