Europe swelters through another heatwave as drought, wildfires and record ocean heat deepen

A fresh heatwave is spreading across Europe this week, pushing UK temperatures toward 36C and adding to a summer of record-breaking heat, deepening drought, wildfires and record-high ocean temperatures. The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber heat-health alerts for most of England, France has placed nearly 70% of its territory under water restrictions, and the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service says western Europe just had its hottest June and July on record.

How hot has it gotten, and where?

Central and eastern Europe broke national records in early August: Austria hit 41.2C, Slovakia reached 42.2C, and Hungary hit 41.8C, beating a record set in 1905, with overnight lows staying above 28C in some spots — a “tropical night.” Copernicus says western Europe’s average June-July temperature of 21.62C was the highest ever recorded for that two-month stretch, topping the previous record set in 2022. A Mediterranean buoy recorded a sea-surface temperature of 33C, which, if confirmed, would be a regional high. Globally, July 2026 was the joint second-warmest July on record and produced the hottest ocean surface temperatures ever measured for the month — 20.96C between 60°N and 60°S, edging past the 20.89C record set in 2023. Scientists point partly to developing El Niño conditions in the Pacific as an added driver.

What’s happening in the UK right now?

The UK Health Security Agency has amber heat-health alerts running from 9am Tuesday 11 August to 9pm Friday 14 August across Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South East, London, South West and North West, with a yellow alert for the North East. Polly Ashmore of the UKHSA urged people to drink water, avoid peak-sun hours, keep indoor spaces cool, and check on vulnerable friends and relatives, warning that heat can cause serious health outcomes for older people and those with existing conditions. The BBC notes this is the UK’s fifth heatwave of the year, with persistent dry weather raising the chance more areas will be officially declared in drought.

Why are two-thirds of France under water restrictions?

French authorities said Monday that 67 of the country’s 101 departments have hit the highest crisis alert level for water use, with two-thirds of groundwater reserves below normal. Another heatwave is expected to spread across France this week, adding further strain. Drought conditions have been building for months as successive heatwaves reduce rainfall and dry out soil.

What is drought doing to Europe’s rivers and power supply?

The Danube has fallen to record-low levels, exposing archaeological and historical debris — including woolly mammoth bones, sunken Second World War ships, and remnants tied to the Roman-era Constantine’s Bridge. Low water has also cut into nuclear power output: Hungary’s Paks plant, which normally supplies about 40% of the country’s electricity, has had only one of four turbine units running, and came close to a full shutdown; Slovakia and Serbia have also seen reduced efficiency. Deutsche Welle reports that France — Europe’s most nuclear-dependent country — has seen recent heatwaves temporarily cut available nuclear capacity by eight to nine gigawatts, roughly a fifth of its normal summer capacity, though grid operators say France still had enough reserves to remain a net electricity exporter. Over a full year, French heat-related nuclear losses are typically under 1.5%, but short-term dips matter more for grid stability and prices, especially since heat also drives up air-conditioning demand and can reduce electricity imports from equally hot neighboring countries.

What else is being affected?

Wildfires have burned across Italy, France, Serbia and Bulgaria, damaging forests and forcing evacuations. Copernicus data show soil moisture in western Europe is markedly lower than during the last severe drought in July 2022, and rivers including the Seine, Rhine and Danube are all running unusually low, disrupting transport and irrigation as well as energy production. Elsewhere, tropical weather is compounding the picture: Typhoon Dolphin struck China under a red alert before weakening, Japan is bracing for Typhoon Chan-hom with gusts up to 80mph, and a third system, Peilou, is strengthening the southwest monsoon over the Philippines, where this year’s storms have already killed six people and displaced more than 380,000.

Why does this matter beyond one hot week?

Scientists at Copernicus describe a feedback loop: persistent high pressure traps heat, dry soils lose their cooling capacity, and heat and drought reinforce each other. Samantha Burgess, the service’s strategic lead for climate, called the pattern a clear sign that climate change is intensifying heat extremes. Europe remains the world’s fastest-warming continent, and forecasters warn a strengthening El Niño could push global temperatures even higher later this year, adding to a summer already marked by thousands of projected heat-related deaths across the continent.

Sources

• The Guardian World — Amber heat-health alerts issued for most of England as temperatures could reach 36C or higher this week – latest updates · Weather tracker: Europe breaks more heat records as temperatures soar
• France24 — Nearly 70 percent of France under water restrictions amid record heat · Another heatwave hits Europe as drought and fires worsen
• BBC World
• Deutsche Welle World — When extreme heat threatens Europe’s nuclear power · Western Europe records hottest June and July on record

Featured photo: Kristijan Ilic via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)