Much of Europe is bracing for yet another scorching heatwave following periods of record drought that have driven rivers to historic lows, ignited historic forest fires and contributed to thousands of deaths.

Swathes of Britain and France on Monday (August 10, 2026) were already under extreme heat warnings with forecasts of temperatures around the mid-30s C, while parched conditions saw new fires erupt in Greece and Spain.

Unusually high temperatures were also forecast in the coming days across a number of countries not accustomed to the heat, such as Switzerland, Austria and Hungary.

The heatwave comes after mainland France and Switzerland saw their widest-ranging droughts for July on record, according to an AFP of data released by Europe’s Copernicus climate observatory on Monday (August 10).

Europe’s weather warning system, MeteoAlarm, on Monday (August 10) also said scorching temperatures are already being felt across much of Italy and coastal areas of Croatia.

Here’s what to know as temperatures soar again across the continent, the fastest-warming on the planet due to human-caused climate change.

‘Intense heat’

The United Kingdom’s Met Office warned at the weekend that the summer’s fifth hot spell was about to take hold in a country whose infrastructure was built for a more temperate, cooler climate.

Nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales is already officially in drought, with more than 27 million people under water-use restrictions, and with the environment department warning on Monday that “all regions of the country are experiencing pressure on their water resources”.

Next to no rain was forecast for the affected areas this week.

In France, the national weather agency Meteo-France warned on Monday (August 10) that the southeast would see temperatures as high as 35C, spreading further across the country as the week progresses.

The agency also warned that due to climate change, “future summers will generally be hotter than those experienced to date”.

The environment ministry said on Monday (August 10) that “nearly 70% of French territory is subject to restrictions on water use”, with the liquid reserved for priority uses such as healthcare, sanitation and drinking water in the areas most at risk.

Both France and the U.K. have seen thousands of excess deaths during previous heatwaves this year.

Fires and drought

Greece reported its second fire this season near the capital Athens on Monday (August 10), despatching hundreds of crew and equipment.

Already, more than 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of pine forests were blackened by a blaze that broke out 10 days ago northwest of the capital.

Firefighters were also struggling to contain a rapidly expanding blaze in southwestern Spain that had forced the evacuation of some 800 people and counting.

The weather was offering “no respite”, local officials said.

France and Spain have already seen historic wildfires so far this summer, with record levels of drought causing tinder-dry conditions.

Some 95% of mainland France and 99% of Switzerland saw drought conditions in July, both record figures since the European Drought Observatory began collecting such data in 2012, according to an AFP analysis on Monday (August 10).

Heat and drought are also driving rivers across Europe to record lows. The Rhine in Germany could drop so much it becomes unnavigable, industry groups warned on Monday (August 10).

And Polish officials announced that the Vistula, the country’s longest river, had matched its record low in Warsaw on Monday — a record set only on Friday.

Low levels along the Danube River have already seen Hungary and Romania forced to consider shuttering their nuclear plants, which rely on the water for cooling, in late July — though both managed to avoid doing so for now.

By the numbers –

Nearly 120 million Europeans live in regions where July 2026 was the hottest ever recorded, according to an AFP analysis of national weather agencies and Copernicus climate data.

The records were concentrated in southern Britain, western France, and northern and eastern Spain.

At least 12,000 excess deaths were recorded across nine European countries during one heatwave in June, an AFP analysis of national statistics found last month, a toll that could rise as more data is released.

Solar eclipse

A solar eclipse that will be visible across parts of the European continent on Wednesday (August 12) is expected to attract skygazers despite the unwelcoming weather.

The European Space Agency’s observatory in Teruel, Spain, will host a day of activities up to the main event with the eclipse beginning at 7:33 p.m. and reaching totality at 8:23 p.m..

The area saw temperatures breach 30C on Monday and the eclipse will cross over areas that were hit by the devastating Spanish fires last month.

Published – August 10, 2026 10:55 pm IST

Heat that hit Europe exceptionally early and hard this year appears to have led to a spike in deaths, with well over 10,000 more people dying at the height of the heat wave than would normally have been expected, according to figures that are still emerging across the continent.

Measures of what researchers call “excess mortality” — the difference between the normally expected number of deaths and the actual number — spiked in late June, when parts of Europe experienced record temperatures. Experts caution that it takes a while for a full picture to emerge, and that many heat-related deaths will never formally be recorded as such. For example, a heart attack, which can be triggered by extreme heat exposure, especially in people who are older or have underlying health issues, may be listed on a death certificate simply as a heart attack.

It’s an alarming start to the summer. Several heat waves have killed thousands of people in the past few years in Europe. Still, 2003 stands as the deadliest year in Europe for heat, with about 70,000 deaths. The frequency and intensity of heat waves are supercharged by climate change, which comes from the burning of fuels like coal, oil and gas.

An exceptionally deadly week in early summer 2026, The EuroMOMO mortality monitoring hub, which receives data from two dozen countries, gave an estimate of 14,260 for excess mortality from all causes in the week ending June 28, more than 12,000 of those deaths being among people age 65 and older. That’s out of a total 84,583 deaths that week. Figures in the preceding and following weeks were far lower.

Lasse Vestergaard of Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which coordinates EuroMOMO, said that “we attribute this to the heat wave affecting quite a lot of countries in Europe, and we do that because there is no other obvious explanation that could explain such a high excess mortality happening at the moment.” Such a high excess in a single week is “highly unusual,” he added. EuroMOMO doesn’t give absolute numbers for individual countries, but found the highest rates of excess in France, Belgium and Germany.

Nations that bore the brunt of the heat have issued their own estimates — which don’t always follow the same methodology or timelines. Here is a snapshot of heat-related deaths being reported by various countries.

Germany

Germany’s disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute, directly attributed 6,830 deaths to heat this year through early July, 6,470 of them among people 65 and older. Temperatures in Germany late last month hit their highest levels since records began, peaking with a measurement of 41.7 Degrees Celsius (107.06 Fahrenheit) on June 28, according to the German Weather Service.

United Kingdom

Britain’s Met Office, the national weather agency, said that 2,700 people are believed to have died from heat-related causes during heat waves in England and Wales in May and June. Of those deaths, it says that about 550 occurred in late May and about 2,200 in late June. This year brought national heat records for May of 35.1 Degrees Celsius (95.18 Fahrenheit) and for June of more than 37 Degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit).

France

France’s public health authority said there were at least 2,000 more deaths in the week of June 22-28 than the previous week, when temperatures were already climbing. France recorded its hottest-ever days on June 24 and 25, when the Meteo France weather service said the national thermal indicator — an average of daily temperatures measured at 30 weather stations — hit 30 Degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). More than 40% of France saw peak temperatures of above 40 Degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Spain

An estimated 937 deaths in Spain in June were attributed to excess heat, according to the Carlos III Health Institute, an official Spanish monitoring agency. Last month was Spain’s second-hottest June on record, with temperatures 3.2 Degrees Celsius (5.8 Fahrenheit) above the monthly normal average, according to the AEMET weather agency. A five-day heat wave saw temperatures regularly surpass 40 Degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), AEMET said.

Belgium

There were 1,747 deaths above what would usually be expected during the heat wave that ran from June 18 to July 1, according to Sciensano, Belgium’s public health institute. It said that “a certain excess mortality is expected during heat waves, as during waves of cold weather and flu epidemics. Nevertheless, the heatwave of June 2026 is distinguished by its exceptional breadth.” At the peak of the heat wave, there was a measurement of 35.5 Degrees Celsius (95.9 Fahrenheit) on June 26, the IRM weather institute said.

Netherlands

An initial estimate of excess death figures from the June heat wave found that the Netherlands had 480 more deaths than expected, according to the public health service. Increased mortality was particularly notable in eastern and southern areas, where the temperatures were the highest.

The country saw its highest temperature ever for June, with the Dutch weather service registering 36.8 Degrees Celsius (98.24 Fahrenheit). That’s more than a Degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) higher than the previous record, set in 1947.

Published – July 17, 2026 04:35 pm IST

 Italy and the Balkans felt the impact on Monday (June 29, 2026) of a 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.

Across the Atlantic, the National Weather Service warned of “dangerous heat with temperatures in the ⁠90s and lower 100s (degrees Fahrenheit) across much of central and eastern U.S.,” in the days before the July 4 celebrations on Saturday, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

“The combination of prolonged daytime heating and limited nighttime relief will increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, ‌especially for vulnerable populations and those without adequate cooling,” the National Weather Service added. For Western Europe, where temperatures have dipped from record June highs, there was also a warning that the heat was likely ‌to build again next week.

In Italy, 22 cities from Bolzano in the north to Palermo on the southern island ‌of ⁠Sicily were covered on Monday (June 29, 2026) by a red heat warning.

Pilgrims at the Vatican used fans to cool ⁠themselves and sheltered under umbrellas for shade as Pope Leo delivered his Angelus message from a balcony to the crowd below on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, a holiday in the city of Rome.

Wildfires in Western Balkans

In Croatia, the weather service issued a red alert on ​Monday (June 29, 2026) for regions including the capital Zagreb and the ‌tourist destinations of Split and Dubrovnik.

Dozens of firefighters, assisted by four aircraft, battled a wildfire burning pine forests on the tourist island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea, some 34 miles (55 km) southwest of Split.

In neighbouring Serbia, the State Hydrometeorological Service (RHMZ) has warned temperatures would reach 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.

Further south, Albania contained a wildfire ‌that has consumed many hectares of bushes and olive trees near the southern village of Klos over the weekend.

The ​heatwave, which began on June 20, set records for early summer and the blistering conditions disrupted power generation, damaged infrastructure and overwhelmed healthcare systems. France has reported 1,000 excess deaths blamed on the ⁠heatwave.

The French public health agency said most of the heat-related fatalities involved older people and warned the number was expected to rise. French media reported that funeral homes in Paris and the surrounding area were overwhelmed by the number of bodies they had to ‌deal with. The heatwave would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change, which has made this week’s soaring night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been just two decades ago, according to scientists.

Young boys die in car in Cyprus

Daniele Mocio, a meteorologist with the Italian Air Force, said the heatwave was expected to persist for a few more days in central and eastern Europe, with temperatures running 8-10 degrees Celsius above average. Any relief further west in Europe was likely to be short-lived.

Luca Mercalli, the president of Italy’s Meteorological Society, said temperatures were set to soar again from July 5 ‌or 6.

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

“With the extreme heat the risk of forest fires increases, but we are also seeing a lot of rainstorms, which obviously mitigates that risk,” he added, noting that storms were very localised so ⁠rainfall amounts could vary greatly.

Further tragedies related to the heat were reported at the weekend.

Two boys aged 8 and 10 from ⁠Bulgaria were found dead in a hot car in Cyprus on Sunday afternoon, police said. Cyprus is currently experiencing temperatures of around 38 C, which is not classified as a heatwave on the east Mediterranean island ‌for the time of year.

Two cyclists, a 30-year-old and a 71-year-old, died while taking part in an event in the Poland Bike Marathon series in Marki near Warsaw on Sunday.

Published – June 30, 2026 02:04 am IST

Europe is reeling under an intense heatwave, with health alerts issued across western and central regions as temperatures surge to record levels.

With the continent warming at more than twice the global average, the World Meteorological Organization has cautioned that Europe faces a rising risk of prolonged spells of extreme heat.

Among the drivers of such extremes are atmospheric and circulation patterns that trap hot air over a region for days, causing temperatures to rise steadily.

The ongoing heatwave in western Europe, which has claimed more than 40 lives in France alone, is being sustained by a weather pattern known as an omega block.

Omega block

The heatwave in Europe is being driven by an omega block, pushing temperatures to unusually high levels, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor. The pattern resembles the Greek letter omega, with a bulging ridge of high pressure trapping heat over a region, while cooler conditions persist along its edges.

An omega block is a stalled, Ω-shaped wind pattern that confines air within it, preventing ventilation. This leads to a build-up of heat, resulting in oppressive conditions.

The trapped heat prevents cooling even at night. Unlike a typical moving heatwave, stagnant air within such a system can also trap pollutants, leading to poor air quality. Climate variability, including phenomena such as La Nina and El Nino, may intensify these effects.

In the coming days, the hot conditions are expected to extend to parts of eastern Europe as well. It remains uncertain how long the present heatwave, driven by an omega block that allows temperatures to build up over successive days, will persist.

Phenomenon behind omega block

An omega block takes the shape of the Greek letter Ω, with a bulge of warm, settled high pressure held between two cooler low-pressure systems.

The term “blocking” refers to the way the high-pressure system becomes stationary. Under normal conditions, the jet stream carries weather systems from west to east.

During an omega block, this flow is disrupted and can meander sharply north and south, isolating pressure systems. Weaker steering winds and reduced temperature contrasts in the atmosphere contribute to these slow-moving patterns.

As a result, hot and still air remains over the same region. Omega blocks typically last between three and 10 days, but can sometimes persist for weeks.

What happens during an omega block

Beneath the high-pressure zone at the centre, conditions turn hot and dry. The system suppresses cloud formation, leading to clear skies and uninterrupted sunshine that pushes temperatures higher. Such conditions have prevailed in France and Spain, where temperatures have crossed 40 degrees Celsius.

Regions under the flanking low-pressure systems, in contrast, are likely to experience cooler and wetter weather.

Britain lies along the boundary between the high-pressure system and cooler air to the northwest, resulting in intense heat in the south and east, and relatively cooler, wetter conditions in the north and west, according to the United Kingdom Met Office.

Heat dome effect

“This extreme heatwave has been caused by a heat dome effect, which occurs when a high-pressure system traps hot air in the upper atmosphere,” said Krishna Raj, Professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru.

A heat dome is a persistent zone of high pressure in the upper atmosphere that settles over a region like a lid on a pot.

A ridge of high pressure drawing hot air from North Africa is positioned between two low-pressure systems, one over central Europe and another off the coast of Portugal. The high-pressure zone becomes stationary due to the pressure exerted on either side, Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts told AFP.

The heat dome acts like a lid, trapping warmth beneath it. Air descending under the high-pressure system warms further through compression, while heat near the surface is unable to escape.

These conditions suppress cloud formation and result in calm weather with minimal wind. Clear skies allow more solar radiation to heat the surface, creating a feedback loop that intensifies the heat.

Heat dome vs omega block

Experts note that heat domes and omega blocks are distinct phenomena, although they can occur together. Climate change is intensifying both heatwaves and storms.

A heatwave in late May across Europe was linked to a heat dome, while an omega pattern played a key role in a major heat event over France in June 2025.

Such patterns are not confined to Europe and occur across the mid-latitudes in both hemispheres. They have been observed over the Pacific, Europe, and North America, according to Burgess.

Climate change and heatwaves

Scientists have observed an increase in high-pressure systems over Europe in recent decades, though there is ongoing debate over the extent to which this is linked to climate change. However, there is broad scientific agreement that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves.

Greenhouse gas emissions, largely from the burning of coal, oil and gas, have warmed the planet by about 1.3 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times.

This higher baseline temperature means that heatwaves now reach more extreme levels. As a result, when patterns such as omega blocks occur, the associated heat can be significantly more intense.

Burgess noted that when heat domes develop, the resulting heatwaves are more severe than they would be in the absence of climate change.

Published – June 26, 2026 03:33 pm IST