Wildfires rage across southern Europe as temperatures top 40C

At least three people have died during a heatwave that is driving dozens of wildfires across southern Europe, forcing thousands to leave their homes.

Red heat alerts have been issued in parts of Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans, warning of health risks as temperatures rise above 40C (104F).

Spain’s weather service Aemet said Seville and Cordoba could reach 44C (111.2F), with southern Portugal expecting similar highs.

In Spain, an employee at an equestrian centre died from severe burns in Tres Cantos, near Madrid, where winds over 70km/h (43mph) pushed flames close to homes and led to hundreds being evacuated.

Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday that rescue services “are working tirelessly to extinguish the fires. We are at extreme risk of forest fires. Please be very cautious,” in a post on X.

In Castile and Leon, almost 4,000 people were evacuated as more than 30 fires broke out, including one near the Unesco-listed Las Médulas. Another 2,000 people were moved from hotels and homes near Tarifa in Andalusia. Nearly 1,000 soldiers were deployed to fight fires nationwide, according to Spain’s military emergency unit.

In Portugal, three large wildfires were tackled on Tuesday, with the most serious near Trancoso brought under control. More than 1,300 firefighters and 14 aircraft were deployed, and Morocco sent two planes after Portuguese water bombers broke down. Authorities warned southern regions could see 44C, with night-time temperatures staying above 25C.

In Italy, a child died of heatstroke on Monday. Red heat alerts were issued for at least 10 cities, including Rome, Milan and Florence.

A four-year-old Romanian boy found unconscious in a car in Sardinia was flown to a hospital in Rome but died from irreversible brain damage, reportedly linked to heatstroke, medical authorities told AFP.

In France, almost three-quarters of the country is under heat alerts, with temperatures expected to reach 36C in the Paris area and 40C in the Rhône Valley. French Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said hospitals were prepared for the country’s second heatwave in weeks.

Greece is battling more than 150 wildfires, worsened by strong winds, with almost 5,000 firefighters and dozens of aircraft deployed. Evacuations are taking place on Zakynthos and in western Achaia, where fires have destroyed homes, vehicles and businesses.

Grigoris Alexopoulos, mayor of western Achaia, said the fires were “out of control” and some coastal areas had been “irreparably damaged”. Rescue boats have been evacuating people trapped on beaches in Chios, and Greece has requested additional EU firefighting aircraft. Authorities warn conditions may worsen in the coming days.

Turkey has contained several major fires, including in Canakkale and Izmir, after hundreds of evacuations and the temporary closure of the Dardanelles Strait and Canakkale airport.

In Montenegro, a soldier died and another was injured when their water tanker overturned while tackling a blaze near the capital Podgorica. In Albania, residents fled their homes on Monday due to wildfires, while in Croatia, a large fire in Split was brought under control on Tuesday.

The UK is also experiencing its fourth heatwave of the year, with temperatures reaching 33C. Amber and yellow heat health alerts cover all of England.

Two grassfires broke out in London on Tuesday, one in Ealing and another in Wanstead Flats, burning more than 17 acres in total.

Scientists say climate change is making Mediterranean summers hotter and drier, contributing to longer and more severe wildfire seasons.

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