Southern Europe is experiencing intense heatwaves, with experts warning that temperatures could reach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) later this summer. The current heat has already fueled wildfires and contributed to thousands of excess deaths across the continent.
Record-breaking temperatures have been recorded across Europe in recent weeks. Britain has seen temperatures exceed 30C (86F), while France and Spain have experienced extreme heatwaves and wildfires. Professor Bill McGuire, a professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, stated that temperatures exceeding 50C are "perfectly possible later this summer." He noted that the current record of 48.8C, set in Sicily in 2021, could be surpassed soon. Professor Hannah Cloke, a specialist in meteorology and climate science at the University of Reading, identified inland southern Spain and Portugal as potentially the "furnace of Europe this summer," with cities like Seville and Córdoba likely to repeatedly exceed 40C (104F).
Sardinia has already seen forecasts of 43C this week, and Rome and Florence are under Italy's highest heat alerts. Greece is also expected to reach 40C for the first time this summer over the weekend. Inland Turkey regularly approaches 45C in high summer, while coastal and island areas tend to be a few degrees cooler, though Mallorca has reached the high 30s. Professor McGuire advised avoiding southern Europe altogether due to the extreme temperatures.
In late June, European countries reported more than 10,000 excess deaths during a significant heatwave. Data from EuroMOMO, a network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization, indicates that over 9,000 of these fatalities were among individuals aged 65 and above. Lasse Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Denmark's Statens Serum Institut, described this level of excess mortality for the time of year as "unusual" and "really high," attributing it directly to the extreme heat. Heat stroke and the aggravation of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are primary concerns, with older populations being particularly vulnerable.
Scientists link the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves to human-caused climate change, noting that Europe is the fastest-warming continent. The heat has exacerbated conditions for wildfires. In France, fires have burned through tinder-dry vegetation, including a blaze near the Palace of Fontainebleau that scorched 1,300 hectares (3,212 acres). In Spain, a wildfire that began last Thursday near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains has resulted in multiple fatalities.
Several European cities are forecast to experience high temperatures in the coming days. Madrid and Majorca are expected to reach 38C (100F) and 36C (97F) respectively. Milan and Rome are forecast for the high 30s, while Budapest, Hungary, is predicted to reach 36C (97F). French cities like Lyon, Toulouse, and Marseille are anticipating temperatures around 35C to 36C (95F-97F).