Searing Heatwave Continues to Grip Europe

(MENAFN) A searing heat wave continues to grip Europe, fueling devastating wildfires that have already scorched land equivalent to the size of Luxembourg in 2025.

Since April, record-setting temperatures have worsened wildfire outbreaks across multiple countries, amplifying the severity and spread of the blazes.

In the city of Limassol, within the Greek Cypriot Administration, approximately 100 square kilometers (39 square miles) were reduced to ash on Thursday. Authorities reported the destruction of numerous homes and the urgent evacuation of local communities.

Fires were still burning in parts of the region as of Thursday, and officials confirmed the grim discovery of two bodies inside a charred vehicle.

Earlier this week, a major blaze erupted near Corinth in southern Greece, triggering village evacuations and adding to the continent-wide emergency.

With heat waves persisting, wildfire alerts remain active in several European nations.

Governments across the continent—including France, Italy, and Poland—have introduced public safety measures to combat the relentless heat. In Marseille, France, city officials made public swimming pools free to help residents cope, while schools were shut down in some areas. Italy responded by prohibiting outdoor labor during peak heat in 13 regions.

In Türkiye, hundreds of fires have broken out this summer, displacing tens of thousands and prompting large-scale evacuations.

Meanwhile, Greece temporarily closed the Acropolis as temperatures soared beyond 40°C.

Data from the European Forest Fires Information System reveals that 237,153 hectares have burned across the continent this year, with 1,250 wildfires recorded so far—up from 861 during the same period last year.

Scientists estimate that between June 12 and July 2, around 2,300 individuals died from heat-related causes across 12 major European cities.

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