As France battled flames, the third bout of extreme heat this season that is also affecting Britain and Spain continued its progression into Italy
International News via Reuters:
Waterbombing aircraft skimmed the river Seine as firefighters struggled to contain a forest blaze south of Paris raging into a third day on Tuesday amid a spreading heatwave that has left swathes of Europe primed for more wildfires.
As France battled flames, the third bout of extreme heat this season that is also affecting Britain and Spain continued its progression into Italy, where authorities were bracing for temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sardinia this week.
According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, the average high of temperatures across Western Europe was 29.4 C on Tuesday, 6.3 C higher than the seasonal average high for July 14 recorded between 1961 and 1990. The difference was most pronounced in Belgium and France, with seasonal highs deviating by as much as 9.4 C and 9.1 C.
Scientists say climate change is making such events more frequent and intense, leaving forests and scrubland across the continent primed to burn.
LIKELY RECORD YEAR FOR FRENCH WILDFIRES
More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe and Britain in the last two record-breaking heatwaves in May and late June, with scientists saying the only credible reason for the unusually high toll was heat-related.
In Spain, authorities continued work to identify victims of last week’s deadly forest fire in the popular holiday area of Almeria, which killed at least 13 people, mostly foreign nationals, and left 10 missing.
French firefighters battled through the night to tackle the blaze that tore through the historic forest of Fontainebleau, home to one of France’s best-known royal palaces. At least two people were arrested on suspicion of having started the fire.
A local French official said two blazes around the Fontainebleau forest were still progressing, with the main blaze having scorched 1,600 hectares and another one nearby 450 hectares, but that weather conditions had improved.
“The wind has stopped, which is a considerable help,” Pierre Ory, the local prefect, told Franceinfo TV. “We have set a reasonable goal of stopping the fires’ progress by the end of the day.”
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Monday the fire was just a few kilometres away from the Palace of Fontainebleau, which explained the deployment of considerable resources, including water-carrying planes and helicopters.
The forest around the palace, which was turned by 16th-century King Francis I into a symbol of French power, served as a royal hunting ground for centuries, before becoming a celebrated subject for Impressionist painters.
Nunez said the Fontainebleau blaze is contributing to what will likely be a record year for fires in France, with 32,000 hectares burned already this year, more than the total in 2025. He said 59 people had been arrested across France on suspicion of starting fires this season.
“We expected this with this major drought,” he added.
ITALY BRACES FOR HEAT, MUNICH DROUGHT TRIGGERS HOSEPIPE BAN
In Italy, a high-pressure system that has taken hold in Sardinia was anticipated to peak on Thursday and Friday, meteorologists said, with temperatures expected to reach 44 C in inland Sardinia, 39 C in Florence, and 38 C in Rome. The incoming heat is accompanied by fine sand billowing in from North Africa, they said.
Extreme weather has also disrupted power supplies and transport, with low water levels preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine river in Germany, increasing costs for freight transport. In Munich, local authorities introduced a hosepipe ban until August 1, imposing temporary restrictions on water use after a combination of months of drought and weeks of high temperatures drove consumption well above normal levels. Violations were punishable with fines of up to €50,000 ($57,135).
The measures ban watering private lawns, filling private swimming pools and washing cars outside commercial facilities, while authorities said expected rainfall in coming days would not ease water shortages. Residents are also barred from taking water from rivers, canals, lakes and ponds except in limited cases.
($1 = 0.8751 euros)
Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter and Michel Rose in Paris, Giselda Vagnoni in Rome; Joern Poltz in Munich; additional writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Kevin Buckland, Andrei Khalip and Sharon Singleton
