Europe heatwave: Wildfires, schools shut and red alerts
Dozens of heat alerts are in place in countries across Europe including France, Italy, Spain and Germany. In France, nearly 2,000 schools were closed at midday on Tuesday across the country.The country's capital Paris is on the highest heat alert for the first time in five years and the top of the famous Eiffel Tower will be closed until Thursday.In Italy there are also red alerts and outdoor work has been banned in some Italian regions during the hottest hours of the day.In Florence, a city in the north of the country, there was a power cut on Tuesday for a while after a surge in demand - possibly due to air conditioning.
Germany's national weather service is forecasting a peak of 40C on Wednesday.Some rail services have been affected and in the north local media has reported a motorway buckling under the heat.The high temperatures across the continent have increased the risk of wildfires. Fifty thousand people have been evacuated from five regions in Turkey as forest fires were made worse by strong winds. Wildfires also broke out in Spain's Catalonia region and spread quickly through farmland before being brought under control by firefighters.
Climate change is making extreme heat in Europe more likely. On Tuesday, the World Meteorological Organization - the United Nations' weather and climate agency - said people will need to learn to live with the new normal of extreme heatwaves, which will occur more often and be more intense.
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Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Europe's heatwaves: the holiday destinations with heat warnings in place
Several countries in southern and eastern Europe are battling with a heatwave that's seen temperatures rise above 40C during the last few weeks. Heat warnings are in place across large parts of France; Spain and Portugal broke temperature records for June, and in some regions of Italy hospital admissions have risen by a fifth due to heat-related illnesses. 'Roll clouds' — created when cold air flows from the bottom of a storm cloud and pushes warm air upwards — have been spotted in Portugal. The heatwave has also lowered water levels in the Rhine, hampering the amount that cargo ships can transport, while a string of wildfires have been breaking out across western Turkey. Here's everything you need to know if you're unsure whether to go ahead with a planned holiday, from how to stay safe to whether you're protected if you decide to cancel. Météo-France, the national weather service, issued France's highest level alert for Paris at the end of June 2025. It warned that a heatwave of 'scorching magnitude' was affecting large parts of the country. The top of the Eiffel Tower is closed at the time of writing. French ecology minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher reported two deaths linked to the heatwave, while 300 people have been taken to hospital. Temperatures are starting to drop in the country. The health ministry has put 18 cities — including Florence, the country's hottest city at present, and Rome — on its highest alert. Regions including Tuscany have reported an increase in hospital admissions. A lorry driver has been found dead in the province of Brescia with doctors believing that the extreme weather may have been a contributing factor, while there have been reports of at least two other fatalities potentially linked to the heatwave. Temperatures will peak in the country on Friday, according to forecaster il Meteo. Warnings from weather service Deutscher Wetterdienst remain in place for parts of the south and west, including cities such as Dusseldorf and Stuttgart. Heat warnings are in place in Spain and two people have died in Catalonia following a wildfire. The country's weather forecaster AEMET has predicted temperatures of 43C in Cordoba for today, July 2. Portugal's Directorate-General for Health issued a severe weather warning and has advised citizens to stay indoors between 11am and 5pm. The town of Mora in the centre of the country recorded a high of 46.6C this week. Warnings are also in place for some parts of Croatia and the Balkans with temperatures expected to remain very hot this week. Meanwhile, the rise in temperatures has seen an increase in wildfires, with the island of Chios in Greece being affected last week and western Turkey suffering over the past few days. Emergency medical services are on standby in many countries and people have been warned to stay inside as much as possible. • Turkey wildfires: is it safe to travel?• Airport 100ml liquids rule: which UK airports have changed restrictions? The high temperatures look set to continue throughout the week. AEMET predicts the heatwave will continue until at least mid-week in Spain, while it is expected that temperatures in Italy will not return to seasonal averages until at least the weekend. Yes, but you should be sensible, and follow local advice and take necessary precautions to keep yourself safe. Travellers should also be mindful that some tourist destinations might be closed to visitors during peak hours to protect them from the extreme heat. The Foreign Office is not, however, advising that people avoid visiting countries currently experiencing extreme heat, such as Spain and Greece. In most cases, tour operators and airlines will not offer refunds until the Foreign Office explicitly advises against non-essential travel to a destination. However, check your travel insurance policy carefully, as coverage can vary significantly. Many policies have clauses around extreme weather, which means you should be able to recoup some of your costs if you need to cancel. However, many standard trip cancellation clauses do not cover heatwaves unless they result in severe disruption or danger in the destination. In the event of serious disruption, package holidays (comprising a combination of flight, accommodation and/or car hire) bought from the same supplier with an Atol or Abta certificate should cover you for cancellation, curtailment or repatriation under the package travel regulations. You are more likely to receive compensation for cancellation if the relevant government or local authority in your chosen destination has issued a travel warning because of extreme heat. Currently, the Foreign Office does not advise travellers against visiting unusually hot destinations such as Greece, Spain and Italy, but in the unlikely event of it updating its guidance to warn against travel, it should be possible to cancel a holiday or rearrange your plans — speak to your travel provider about the possibilities. • Nine steps to a stress-free holiday• Travel insurance guide: everything you need to know If you have a medical condition that is making you reluctant to travel to your planned destination because of a heatwave, it is unlikely you'll be able to claim on your travel insurance — unless you suffer from a declared medical condition and a doctor deems that you are unfit to travel. Again, coverage varies, so check your policy. Extreme heat can pose serious health risks, including dehydration, exhaustion, heatstroke, heart attacks and strokes. It can also exacerbate existing conditions, according to the World Health Organization, including diabetes and asthma. Those most vulnerable to heat-related health issues include older people, those with underlying conditions, babies and very young children. You should wear light clothes, plenty of sunscreen and go indoors if you feel lightheaded. It is a good idea to keep blinds and curtains closed during the day. Stay hydrated, seek air-conditioned or shaded environments where possible, avoid exercise and sunbathing during the warmest times of the day, and avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, which contributes to dehydration. • How many months do I need on my passport to travel?• Compensation for cancelled and delayed flights: everything you need to know
Sky News
4 hours ago
- Sky News
Wildfires break out in Turkey, Syria and Greece - with towns near Athens evacuated
Wildfires have broken out on an island and in towns near Athens in Greece, with blazes also being sparked in Turkey and Syria. The Hellenic Fire Service and local authorities said that two villages - Tsakeoi and Limnionas - had been evacuated on the island of Evia after the blaze started late on Friday. One fire service official said more than 160 firefighters, 46 trucks and five aircraft were deployed in southern Evia to put out the fire. Southern Evia, to the east of Athens, was one of several regions in Greece placed on high alert for wildfires over gale-force winds forecast for today. Images from Koropi, a town to the southwest of Athens, also show houses burnt down and helicopters dropping water on burning forests. It marks the latest wildfires to break out in Greece - where blazes are common during the summer - as it tackles strong winds and dry conditions amid an early summer heatwave in southern Europe. at least nine deaths across the continent. A wildfire broke out in Achlia on the island of Crete on Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate - with some taken to a nearby basketball arena and hotels in safer parts of the island. The fire service official told Reuters on Friday that the fire in Crete was largely contained. Meanwhile, blazes have also broken out on Turkey's west coast - the latest in a series of blazes which started in late June - as well as its southerly neighbour Syria. At least five fires have been reported in Izmir after extreme heat, strong winds and low humidity. Two people have been killed by the blazes, while tens of thousands have been evacuated. Fires also flared on both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border on Friday, with a new blaze reported near the town of Dortyol in Turkey's border province of Hatay. The government department added that conditions have hampered efforts to bring the fire under control, and noted unexploded ordnance could be in some of the areas affected.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
In pictures: Swimmers plunge into the river Seine after 100-year ban lifts
Cheers of "It is warm!" rang out across the Seine on Saturday morning as Parisians legally plunged into the river for the first time in over a century. Public swimming was permitted in designated zones, including two newly constructed wooden decks near the Eiffel Tower and the Île Saint-Louis in central Paris. Before sunrise, a municipal officer meticulously skimmed away the last patches of algae. Soon after, eager Parisians, towels in hand, queued for their long-awaited dip. Woos and cries of joy echoed across the riverbanks as the first swimmers entered the emerald-green water. Every swimmer wore a bright yellow lifebuoy tied around their waist, part of strict safety measures enforced by a dozen lifeguards in high-visibility vests. The current was weak, just enough to tug gently at their limbs — a reminder that this is still a living, urban river. 'It's so nice to swim in the heart of the city, especially with the high temperatures we've been having lately,' said Amine Hocini, a 25-year-old construction worker from Paris. 'I'm surprised because I thought it was going to be cooler and in fact, it's much warmer than I thought.' The return to swimming follows a 1.4 billion euro ($1.5 billion) cleanup project tied to last year's Olympics. Officials now say the Seine meets European water quality standards on most days. Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who already took a dip last year, was there Saturday morning, holding up a transparent bottle filled with river water as a show of confidence. Environmental authorities confirmed bacteria levels were well below official thresholds. Swimming in the Seine had been illegal since 1923, with a few exceptions, due to pollution and risks posed by river navigation. Taking a dip outside bathing areas is still banned for safety reasons. From the deck, tourists and morning joggers stopped to watch. Some applauded as swimmers climbed up the steel ladders, grinning and dripping. Others, like François Fournier, remained skeptical. 'I won't risk it quite frankly,' said Fournier, who lives atop the riverbanks and observed the scene from a bridge above. 'I've seen things you can't imagine floating in the Seine, so I'll wait for it to be really squeaky clean.' Floating debris still bobbed here and there — a stray leaf, a plastic wrapper — but the smell was barely noticeable: no strong sewage odor, just an earthy, river-like scent. 'This is so chic, to swim in the Seine, next to Île Saint-Louis,' said Lucile Woodward, 43, a resident. 'There are some apprehensions, of course, any time you go to swim somewhere, but I think this is one of the most tested areas in the whole world now. I don't think the town hall can allow herself to have any problems.' She added with a laugh: 'My skin is OK.'
