Extreme heat and wildfires surge across southern Europe as temperatures break records

A punishing heat wave swept across southern Europe this weekend, forcing evacuations in Greece and pushing several countries into emergency wildfire alerts as temperatures soared past 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Giada Zampano reports for The Associated Press.

In short:

• Portugal placed two-thirds of the country on high alert, with temperatures expected to reach 107°F in Lisbon and wildfire risks escalating.
• Italy’s health ministry issued maximum heat warnings for 21 cities, while several regions restricted outdoor work to protect workers from record heat.
• In Greece, a fast-moving wildfire near Athens led to evacuations and property damage, with helicopters and planes deployed to battle flames worsened by strong winds.

Why this matters:

Extreme heat events in Europe are no longer rare spikes; they are increasingly part of a seasonal norm shaped by climate change. Southern Europe’s dense urban centers, aging populations, and tourism economies make them especially vulnerable. Heat stress drives up hospital admissions, disrupts outdoor labor, and ignites deadly wildfires. Older adults and children face the greatest health risks. As warming accelerates, studies predict heat-related deaths could more than quadruple in Europe by midcentury. Fire-prone Mediterranean regions are also seeing drier springs and hotter summers, creating ideal tinderbox conditions. These effects converge to threaten public health, strain emergency response systems, and reduce air quality across entire regions.

Learn more: Extreme heat events are growing more frequent, widespread and underestimated