Europe is facing a dual climate emergency, with wildfires sweeping across the continent and a deadly heatwave claiming thousands of lives. By mid-July 2025, more than 230,000 hectares of land had burned across the European Union, 117% above the 19-year average, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
At the same time, a rapid attribution study confirmed that 1,500 of 2,300 increased deaths during a heatwave in 12 cities in late June were directly caused by human-induced climate change.
These events have unfolded just months after the European State of the Climate 2024 (ESOTC) report warned of intensifying heat, prolonged droughts, and an increasing risk of fires, with these predictions having now been realized.
Wildfires engulf the continent
So far this year, the European Union has recorded 1,118 large wildfires exceeding 30 hectares, compared to 716 during the same period in 2024.
Over 230,000 hectares have been destroyed since January, almost triple last year’s 82,778 hectares over the same period. Meanwhile, total CO₂ emissions have reached 7.44 million tonnes, up from 6.14 million tonnes at this point last year.
At least 10 countries have been affected, with southern and eastern Europe bearing the brunt. The scale of the crisis has prompted widespread evacuations, declarations of emergency, and the deployment of EU civil protection resources.
- Greece: Fires in Attica and Thessaly have scorched vast tracts of forest and forced evacuations. The authorities have declared emergencies in several districts, warning that rekindled blazes remain a threat.
- Turkey: Multiple provinces including İzmir and Antalya are battling intense fires driven by extreme heat and dry winds. The government has sought additional aerial firefighting support from EU partners.
- Italy: Sicily, Calabria, and Sardinia have reported repeated outbreaks of fire as temperatures reached 47°C in some regions. Dozens have been hospitalized due to smoke inhalation, and disruptions to transport near Palermo continue.
- Spain: Wildfires in Catalonia, Aragon, and Andalusia have scorched thousands of hectares of land prompting red alerts from the Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, as extreme heat has aggravated the fires.
- France: Fires in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie have triggered evacuation and closed roads. Local and national firefighting forces are working to contain fires near populated areas.
- Portugal: More than 3,000 hectares of protected Natura 2000 forest were lost in two days. Officials are warning of sustained extreme fire risks across the central region.
- Germany: Blazes in Brandenburg and Saxony have led to evacuation near the edge of t cities with officials warning that the ongoing drought is pushing Germany into a higher wildfire risk zone.
- Croatia and Albania: Strong coastal winds have intensified fires, damaging homes and forcing tourists to evacuate. The region’s tourism industry has reported significant losses.
- Romania and Bulgaria: Agricultural fires have evolved into large wildland blazes in forested areas, prompting cross-border firefighting efforts as conditions remain dangerously dry.
Across these regions, firefighting efforts have been reinforced by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism ,with nearly 650 firefighters and 26 aircraft pre-positioned across high-risk areas in 10 countries, including France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain.
Deadly heatwave tied to climate change
While southern and eastern Europe are battling flames, western cities are facing a deadlier but invisible threat: lethal heat.
Between June 23 and July 2, a searing heatwave swept through western Europe, resulting in 2,300 increased deaths. A rapid attribution study by Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that 1,500 of these deaths – nearly two-thirds – were caused by climate change.
Researchers concluded that greenhouse gas emissions increased regional temperatures by 1–4°C, significantly intensifying the deadliness of the heatwave. Elderly populations were hit the hardest, with 88% of victims being aged 65 or over.
City-specific tolls include 317 deaths in Milan, 286 in Barcelona, 235 in Paris, and hundreds more across Rome, London, Madrid, Athens, and other capital cities.
Researchers warn that if global warming exceeds 3°C by 2100, Europe could face between 68,000 and 94,000 heat-related deaths annually. In contrast, keeping the temperature rise to 1.5°C could limit the toll to around 30,000 per year.
Climate warnings materialize
The European State of the Climate 2024 report, released in April by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, proved remarkably prescient in warning of the crisis now unfolding.
The report depicted a continent that is entering a new climate phase, hotter, drier, and more divided, months before this year’s devastating wildfires and heat-related deaths.
The report found that Europe has been warming at almost double the global rate since the 1980s, making it the fastest-warming continent. Average temperatures climbed 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with almost half of Europe recording all-time highs.
While not predicting the exact scale of this year’s fires, it explicitly warned of lengthening fire seasons and more “extreme fire danger days” – forecasts now playing out months ahead of the September schedule.
Adaptation gaps persist
Although 47% of the EU’s electricity is now sourced from renewables, just 51% of cities have official climate adaptation strategies, according to the European Environment Agency. Despite progress from 26% in 2018, efforts remain outpaced by the growing severity of the climate crisis.
