A new round of extreme heat is expected across Europe, and Spain could hit 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) as fire danger increases in many parts of the continent.
It comes after a summer defined by record temperatures, deadly heat, drought, and large evacuations caused by fires.
What's happening?
According to The Independent, Europe may be heading into its fifth major heatwave of the summer, with the most severe early conditions expected in Spain, France, and Italy before the hottest air shifts farther east.
As the heat extends into Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania could see temperatures near 104 Fahrenheit (40 C). Before that, Spanish forecaster Aemet said Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada, and Madrid may reach around 104 F or higher, while France is forecast to see temperatures in the mid-to-high 90s, and parts of Italy could approach 104.
Bloomberg research, as cited by The Independent, found that heat has been linked to 25,000 deaths across five countries — Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, wildfires have burned more than 1.36 million acres (550,000 hectares) across Europe.
The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service also reported that Western Europe recorded a 24-hour average temperature of 70.9 Fahrenheit (21.62 C) for June and July — 5.0 Fahrenheit (2.79 C) above the 1991-2020 average.
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Copernicus Climate Change Service deputy director Dr. Samantha Burgess said the prolonged extremes have been driven by persistent high-pressure systems, also known as a "heat dome."
Why does it matter?
Extreme heat can be deadly. High temperatures raise the risk of heat stroke, dehydration, heart stress, and other serious health complications, especially for older adults, outdoor workers, and people without reliable cooling.
Dry conditions also worsen drought, strain water supplies, and make it easier for fires to ignite and spread.
Wildfire threats have driven more than 300,000 people from their homes in France and Spain. Some border regions of Hungary, Romania, and Serbia are also facing "extreme danger" wildfire warnings, while The Independent reported that wide areas of Spain, along with parts of France, are under "very high" or "extreme" fire danger alerts.
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Fires can destroy homes, farms, forests, and businesses, while smoke can travel long distances and damage air quality far from the flames.
AccuWeather estimates the economic toll of Europe's fires has reached past $22 billion (£16.4 billion), including emergency response costs, property damage, and health impacts.
"The extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought," Burgess said.
What's being done?
European weather and emergency agencies are responding with heat alerts, drought monitoring, and wildfire danger warnings.
Large parts of Spain and France have been placed under yellow or amber alerts, and Italy's Health Ministry heat surveillance system has issued red alerts across multiple cities. Officials in England and Wales are also tracking worsening drought conditions.
Copernicus and the European Forest Fire Information System are monitoring fire danger and helping authorities identify the highest-risk regions before flames spread.
"This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another," Burgess said, per The Independent.
Laurence Rouil of ECMWF, who heads the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, added: "Larger fires produce more smoke and inject it higher into the atmosphere, meaning it can travel further and impact air quality not only locally, but across the wider region."
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