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Europe is experiencing a severe heatwave. Temperatures above 40°C were recorded in the UK. The French meteorological services - Météo France expects the temperatures to remain between 36°C to 40°C in most parts of the country in the month of July.

According to WMO Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas, "In the future, this kind of heatwaves are going to be normal. We will see stronger extremes. We have pumped so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the negative trend will continue for decades. We haven’t been able to reduce our emissions globally."


The heatwaves and droughts due to climate change have aggravated the wildfires in Europe. Since the beginning of the year, wildfires have burnt nearly 450,000 hectares of land till the middle of July.


Almost all major EU countries have witnessed a spike in wildfires. From North-western Spain to neighbouring Portugal to France's south-western Gironde region, all have experienced a severe spell of wildfires.


IPCC forecasts that temperatures will rise more quickly in European areas than elsewhere. In the Mediterranean, a worrisome combination of climatic impact-driver changes (warming; temperature extremes; increase in droughts and aridity; precipitation decrease; wildfire increase; mean and extreme sea levels; snow cover decrease; and wind speed decrease) is expected by mid-century if global warming exceeds 2°C.

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