Europe battles wildfires and extreme weather conditions

MADRID/ATHENS/PONTEVES/SICILY — Firefighters battled major wildfires across Spain and France on Tuesday as an intense heatwave continued to fuel dangerous conditions throughout Europe, bringing extreme temperatures, drought, and forecasts of severe hailstorms.

Two firefighters were killed while fighting a wildfire near an airport in France’s Gironde region, which was under high alert for wildfires, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. The deaths came two weeks after another firefighter was killed while responding to a blaze in the Savoie region of the French Alps.

In southern France’s Var department, a separate wildfire burned about 500 hectares within hours and continued spreading toward the nearby commune of Cotignac, local authorities said. France’s Wildfire Prevention and Reporting Association (PSFDF) classified the blaze as “out of control,” while at least 150 people were evacuated.

In Spain’s central Guadalajara province, a forest fire remained uncontrolled for a sixth consecutive day, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,200 people. Emergency teams worked to contain the flames as temperatures climbed above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), creating extreme fire risks.

The blaze came less than two weeks after Spain’s deadliest wildfire in decades killed 13 people near Bedar in the southern Almeria province.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, and scientists have warned that human-driven climate change is increasing the severity of heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires while also contributing to more intense storms.

The continent has experienced three nearly consecutive heatwaves this year, with extreme heat linked to thousands of additional deaths between May and June.

Drought Hits England as Heatwave Spreads Across Southern Europe

In Britain, Thames Water announced that it would introduce water-use restrictions for about 10 million customers in and around London, banning outdoor hosepipes, sprinklers, and pressure washers to help conserve supplies.

The National Drought Group said England received only 3% of its long-term average July rainfall, with parts of southern and eastern England recording no rainfall so far this month. Officials said the dry spell was the longest since the mid-1990s.

In Sicily, Italy, temperatures in inland areas were expected to rise above 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Farmer Marco Barbaccia said a wind-driven wildfire destroyed olive groves, wiping out this year’s harvest and damaging trees needed for future production.

“We were unable to save anything. We lost both this year’s harvest and the trees themselves, which means losing future production of Sicilian extra-virgin olive oil as well,” Barbaccia said.

Greece also faced its first major heatwave of the peak summer season, with temperatures forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius. In central Athens, residents and tourists visiting the Acropolis used hats and umbrellas for protection from the heat, while restaurants and cafes used fans spraying water mist to keep customers cool.

The Reuters Climate Monitor showed that average high temperatures across Western Europe reached 26.3 degrees Celsius, about 2.7 degrees above the seasonal average recorded between 1961 and 1990. Greece’s temperatures were 5.8 degrees above normal, while Spain’s average high of 33.2 degrees Celsius was 5.3 degrees higher than previous decades.

Balkans Warned of Heatwaves and Hailstorms

In Albania, residents and tourists searched for relief from the heat by using public water fountains. Tirana resident Ferid Salihu said temperatures reached 42 degrees Celsius, making it difficult to cope without access to cold water.

In Serbia, the water level of the Danube River dropped to its lowest point since 1946, forcing barges and ships to reduce their cargo loads to navigate parts of the Danube and Sava rivers, according to river port authorities.

Authorities across the Western Balkans warned that extreme heat could soon shift into severe hailstorms. Several people suffered minor injuries after a hailstorm struck the northern Adriatic resort town of Rovinj in Croatia, according to local media reports.

Weather forecasts showed storms could continue spreading across Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, southern Serbia, and North Macedonia as Europe faced another round of extreme weather events. -Reporting by Elena Rodriguez in Eljuve, Spain, Deborah Kyvrikosaios and Lefteris Papadimas in Athens, William James in London, Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade, Fatos Bytyci in Tirana and Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo, Manon Cruz in Ponteve, France, Danilo Arnone in Sicily; Writing by Renee Maltezou, Michele Kambas and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Nia Williams/Reuters