Europe braces for another summer heatwave
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
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.
The BriefWire