This heatwave has already brought a national temperature record in Austria, caused wildfires, and disrupted energy and transport systems across the continent.
Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius have been recorded in several countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people.
Across Europe, officials are battling the effects of extreme heat: health warnings for millions in Italy, record temperatures in Austria, drought-induced disruptions to energy and shipping in Central Europe, and wildfires from France to the Balkans.
Scientists and officials warn that as the climate warms, such events are becoming more frequent and intense.
Climate change leads to more extreme summers
From the Mediterranean region to Central Europe, prolonged heat, drought, and forest fires are increasingly characteristic features of summer.
The current heatwave has revealed vulnerabilities in public health systems, electricity production, transport networks, and tourism infrastructure, forcing governments and businesses to adapt to more frequent extreme weather periods.
Italy’s Ministry of Health on Thursday declared a red alert level in all 27 cities monitored under the national heat monitoring system. This is the first time this year that the highest alert level has been issued simultaneously across the entire network.
Warnings are in effect from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily. They indicate a health risk to all residents, not just vulnerable groups such as the elderly or those with chronic illnesses.
Officials urge residents and tourists to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, stay indoors if possible, and drink plenty of water, as temperatures in some areas reach 40 degrees Celsius.
The heat has also prompted changes at major tourist sites. The Ministries of Tourism and Culture have extended visiting hours in the evenings at sites such as the Colosseum and Pantheon in Rome.
Cooling devices have been installed at the entrances to the Colosseum, and more medical stations have been deployed.
National temperature record reached in Austria
The most intense heat was recorded in Austria, where on Wednesday in a village near the Slovakian border, the thermometer rose to 41.2 degrees Celsius, reported the organization “GeoSphere Austria”.
This is the highest temperature ever recorded in the country.
Austria is also facing severe drought. Precipitation from January 1 to June 30 was 27% below the long-term average nationwide, with some eastern regions receiving only half the usual rainfall.
Climatologist Alexander Orlik said that such dry conditions have not been recorded in some parts of the country since 1885.
Hungary reduces electricity consumption as drought affects nuclear power plant
In Hungary, prolonged drought and record low water levels in the Danube River have severely impacted the country’s only nuclear power plant, which uses river water to cool its reactors.
Plant operators have reduced production to about 10% of normal levels, prompting the government to introduce emergency conservation measures amid the record heatwave.
Officials have asked major industrial consumers and households to reduce electricity use, especially during peak hours between 5 pm and 10 pm. During these hours, freight trains are banned from running, and decorative lighting on Budapest’s architectural landmarks has been turned off.
Several large companies, including energy firm Mol, pharmaceutical manufacturer Gedeon Richter, and car makers Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW, have announced plans to limit electricity consumption.
To save electricity, the government also canceled parliamentary sessions this week.
The heatwave has broken temperature records nationwide. On Wednesday night, Budapest recorded the warmest night in observation history, with temperatures only dropping to 28 degrees Celsius.
Germany worries about dwindling rivers
In Germany, concerns are growing over the drought’s impact on transport and industry as water levels in the Rhine and other rivers continue to fall.
Transport Minister Steffen Bilger met with affected organizations on Thursday and warned that low water levels pose significant challenges to inland waterway shipping, industry, and the overall logistics chain.
Environmental group BUND urged authorities to focus not only on economic impacts but also to increase rivers’ resilience to climate change by retaining more water in the landscape and reducing water extraction during drought periods.
High wildfire risk remains in France
In southeastern France, firefighters have kept large forces in the Var region after officials reported that a major forest fire there is no longer spreading but could still reignite.
The fire, which started on July 20, burned more than 60 square kilometers and became the largest fire recorded in the area in recent decades.
Officials warned that due to strong winds and extremely dry conditions, the risk of new forest fires remains very high in southeastern France.
The Balkans fight fires and drought
On Thursday, the heatwave in the Balkans peaked as temperatures approached 40 degrees Celsius, with officials battling drought and wildfires.
In Serbia, firefighters struggled to control several fires after days of dry weather. One large fire burned pine forests west of Belgrade, while another spread near the central city of Kraljevo, where firefighting efforts are hampered by difficult terrain.
In neighboring Croatia, as temperatures rose along the Adriatic coast, tourists in Dubrovnik sought shade and avoided beaches during the hottest hours of the day.
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