Firefighters raced on Tuesday to subdue huge wildfires that have forced unprecedented evacuations of tens of thousands of people across France and Spain, as western Europe braced for another heatwave. The fires have torn through a region already battered by a blisteringly hot and dry summer. Crews were seeking to capitalise on more favourable weather before a new wave of higher temperatures settled in from Wednesday. In the Bordeaux region of France, firefighters contained the forest blaze...
Both countries expect to see temperatures soar into Wednesday, which could cause the blazes to spread.
Firefighters are braced for a sharp rise in temperatures on Wednesday, which could complicate the containment of wildfires.
Three fires in the Madrid region have caused special concerns, with a new heatwave expected to hit Spain from Wednesday.
France and Spain are battling vast wildfires that have forced more than 325,000 people to flee, as a new heatwave looms.
The situation in France is currently stable, authorities say, but another heatwave is on the way.
Heatwaves come and go, and while this is happening with increasing frequency and intensity – as this year’s record-breaking temperatures show – they slip from attention once things cool off. What does not disappear is the lasting and costly damage they do to the basic infrastructure we rely on in our daily lives. Ultra-hot days and nights can result in the deaths of many people (those who cannot afford air conditioning especially) and they ignite forest infernos of terrifying intensity. Some of...
The number of people forced to flee the heatwave-induced fires in Spain and France has now passed the 100,000 mark.
Gaza families endure scorching summers without refrigerators, struggling to preserve food, medicine and basics.
A wildfire in Spain's Guadalajara region has burned 32,000 hectares, in one of the country's largest recorded blazes.
Japanese cities are experiencing “cruelly hot days”, a new meteorological term devised this year to warn people of intense heat above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), with emergency officials describing the soaring temperatures on Wednesday as “a disaster”. Heatstroke alerts were issued across almost the whole country and emergency officials said at least 14 people had died from heat-related causes in the past week. Three central cities logged scorching temperatures on Tuesday above the new...
The term was introduced in April by the weather agency to describe days when temperatures reach 40C.
Fire breaks out amid Spain's third heatwave of the summer, with temperatures forecast to rise above 40C.
What does a heatwave cost?
Malaysia is expected to see record high temperatures next year as El Nino strengthens, its meteorological department has said. The El Nino phenomenon is a natural part of the weather cycle, characterised by weakening trade winds and warmer sea currents in the Pacific Ocean. Climate experts have warned of a strong or super-strong El Nino this year, raising risks of severe weather such as droughts, floods and heatwaves. Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, director general of Malaysia’s Meteorological...
Collapsing grid, battered by military strikes and chronic underinvestment, leaves Iranians sweltering in the dark.
African communities have spent decades developing practical, tested ways to live with extreme heat.
Previously little-known in Europe, the Midea PortaSplit has become a household name this summer.
Cloudy sky and light to moderate rain predicted for some parts of the State on Friday under the influence of a well-marked low pressure over Northwest Bay of Bengal
Steps have been taken to ensure an uninterrupted power supply, and disruptions are being promptly attended to by the staff of the power utilities, says Energy Minister
Deaths in Germany spiked 32 per cent during a record heatwave in June compared to levels in the previous four years, official data showed Tuesday. Nationwide, about 23,900 people died between June 22 and June 28 – an increase of 7,100 compared with the two previous weeks, according to Germany’s statistics agency. “The fact that the health impact from heat is high and that death rates rise as a result is a well-known effect often observed in the summer months,” the agency said. Sweltering weather...
Wildfires near Paris scorch 1,300 hectares as France endures its third heatwave in three months.
The UK has experienced two record heatwaves this year, with temperatures reaching 35.1C in May and 37.7C in June.
European countries reported more than 10,000 excess deaths during the record-breaking heatwave that engulfed the west of the continent in late June, official data showed. The vast majority – more than 9,000 – were among people aged 65 and above, according to data published by EuroMOMO, a network backed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization. Extreme heat can kill by causing heatstroke, or aggravating cardiovascular and respiratory...
Parts of the United Kingdom are at “exceptional” risk of wildfires as the heatwave continues, experts have warned. Areas in southern England and the Midlands are highlighted as being at highest risk, according to Natural England. Its fire severity index shows the area of “exceptional” risk is set to increase and spread to the South East and east of England by the middle of the week while most of the rest of England and Wales is deemed to be of “very high” risk over the coming days. The Met...
South Korea issued its first-ever emergency heatwave alert on Sunday under a new warning system launched this year, advising people to halt outdoor activities and keep cool. The new warning system was introduced to better deal with a rising number of heatwaves in South Korea, which have become longer and more intense, officials said. An emergency alert is issued when areas experiencing a heatwave are forecast to hit perceived temperatures of 38°C or an actual temperature of 39°C for one...
Andalusia's deadliest fire comes as heatwaves across Europe have left swaths of the continent highly vulnerable.
Hong Kong will be “extremely hot” and hit by occasional showers as Typhoon Bavi moves across the seas east of Taiwan towards Guangdong on the weekend, with unstable offshore weather already disrupting a number of flights. The city’s Observatory said that as Bavi moved across Taiwan and then towards the vicinity spanning northern Fujian and southern Zhejiang, its outer airstream would subside, resulting in “mainly fine and extremely hot weather” in Guangdong from Friday to Sunday. “High...
Six people were injured in the blaze in Los Gallardos in the province of Almería.
Thousands of deaths across Europe, mostly in France, Spain and Belgium, have been linked to a June heatwave.
Scorching heat worsens suffering in Gaza's displacement camps
As people living in low-income areas are unable to escape the heat, analysts decry the government's response.
Iran has marked the second day of funeral processions for its late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Summer came too early to Europe’s most important rice-growing region, and weeds are taking over Sharon Angoli’s parched paddies in Italy’s Pavia province. “That one is done for, no matter what happens,” the 22-year-old said as she surveyed one desolate field that has been baked by what is among the most severe heatwaves to hit the continent in June. Even abundant rains for the rest of the summer would probably not save the crop, she said. Angoli and her father, Carlo, also fear for their other...
From Washington to LA, how plans to mark the United States' 250th anniversary could be disrupted by extreme heat.
A dangerous heatwave upended Fourth of July celebrations across swathes of the central and eastern United States on Friday, forcing officials in the nation’s capital and elsewhere to cancel or postpone dozens of parades, concerts and fireworks displays. Among the events disrupted by the sweltering heat was the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, a centrepiece of President Donald Trump’s efforts to mark the nation’s 250th birthday. The fair, designed to showcase all 50...
More than 165 million people were sweltering on Friday under record temperatures along the US East Coast and Midwest, according to the US National Weather Service.
US heatwave exposes critical strain on power grids from growing energy demands of AI data centres.
The average temperatures on June 24 and 25 this year were the highest ever recorded in the country.
Forecasters are warning of further extreme temperatures on the continent in the next few days.
WHO warns Europe must 'plan for heat like winter flu' as experts reveal how permanent this summer's extreme heat is.
Supermarket chaos erupted in France as shoppers raced to buy Lidl's discounted air conditioners and fans
Hundreds of people were besieging Lidl supermarkets in and around Paris on Thursday, with scuffles and shouting matches breaking out as residents scrambled to get their hands on bargain air-cooling units before the next heatwave hits the French capital. With few air conditioners on sale elsewhere for less than €1,200 (US$1,400), police were called to at least two stores as huge crowds descended on Lidl supermarkets trying to get their hands on basic models on sale for as low as €179. Mousa...
A punishing heatwave affected many parts of the country during the last week of the month.
The heatwave will likely see record high temperatures, ahead of Fourth of July celebrations and FIFA matches in the US.
Spain recorded 1,029 excess deaths last month attributable to heat, official data showed on Wednesday, as a five-day heatwave with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) made it the second-hottest June on record. Data on the Health Ministry’s daily mortality monitoring system MoMo showed this June had the most deaths attributed to heat since the same month in 2015. Average temperatures last month were 3.2 degrees higher than normal, weather agency AEMET said,...
Extreme heat melted a tramway track in Leipzig and disrupted public transport after temperatures climbed to 41C (106F).
Grid operators warn the US heatwave could send electricity demand near record levels before Fourth of July weekend.
Some 130 million people in Central and Eastern Europe endure temperatures above 35C (95F) as heat records set.
Older people remain most at risk as the heatwave drives up excess deaths across Europe.
Russian missiles and drones killed at least 11 civilians and injured 40 others in Ukraine on Monday in what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “horrific attacks”, while the nation’s energy grid buckled under temperatures in excess of 36 degrees Celsius, hit by the deadly heatwave that has afflicted much of Europe. Russian drone and missile attacks have decimated Ukraine’s energy network since Moscow invaded in February 2022, causing tens of billions of dollars worth of damage and leading...
Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Europe on Sunday.
A heatwave sweeping across Europe has triggered a massive surge in sales for Chinese home appliances, with e-commerce giant Alibaba recording triple-digit growth for air conditioners and fans on its overseas platforms. On AliExpress, Alibaba’s international retail site, the June debut of air conditioners in Germany saw warehouse inventory for a 2.35-kilowatt Midea model completely wiped out by Thursday, according to data from Alibaba. The trend was also stark in southern Europe. Fan sales in...
Every few minutes, the mortuary owner’s phone rings. Since a record-smashing heatwave started taking lives and storage space for bodies in Paris and beyond, the funeral directors and mourning families calling him mostly have the same question: do you have room for one more? With all 32 places in his cold room taken, Zouhaeir Hertelli reluctantly has to gently say “Non”, over and over and over again. “We’re facing a really catastrophic situation,” he said. “I’m getting hundreds of calls.” As the...