Western European countries are bracing for the third major heatwave of the summer, heightening the risk of dangerous wildfires and increasing operational pressure on electricity grid systems across the region as demand hits record levels.
Meteorological models indicate that a high-pressure weather system will bring an intense heatwave covering France, southern England, and the Iberian Peninsula. Maximum temperatures in southwestern France are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius, while temperatures in London are forecast to climb to 34 degrees Celsius.
Severe soil drought has exacerbated fire risks in France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece, prompting the European Commission to deploy a record number of firefighters backed by some 22 specialised firefighting aircraft to provide emergency support to countries that have requested urgent logistical assistance in controlling the blazes.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Le Cornu announced in a session before the National Assembly that wildfires have consumed approximately 145 square kilometres of land in the country since the beginning of the current year — roughly three times the area affected during the same period last year.