Heat sears Paris and London as wildfire rages on Greek island

PARIS – Soaring temperatures will scorch Paris over the next few days, triggering a yellow heatwave alert in the city hosting the Olympics.

Paris will reach as high as 37 deg C on July 30, the hottest since 2022. Parts of southern France will exceed 40 deg C, with about 40 per cent of the country’s departments facing orange heat warnings on July 29 and 30, according to Meteo France. The searing temperatures will last until at least the evening of July 31.

London will climb to 32 deg C on July 30, with the Met Office forecasting heatwave conditions this week. A yellow heat-health alert – with elevated risks for people over the age of 65 – is in place for much of England.

Climate change is bringing hotter summers to Europe as the intensity and frequency of heatwaves increase. The highest average temperature on earth was recorded last week, according to preliminary data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Temperatures are also expected to hit 43 deg C in the Spanish interior,

while the heat has also returned to Greece,

increasing wildfire risks across the Mediterranean.

Inhabitants of the villages of Petries and Krieza on the Greek island of Evia have been told to evacuate as firefighters, supported by 11 planes and three helicopters, tackle a huge forest blaze that is being fanned by a strong wind.

In Greece, there were 109 fires in the 72 hours to 6.30pm on July 28, with Athens among the areas on very high alert.

Despite this being the worst fire season in two decades, Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilas said new procedures, including the use of drones for spotting blazes, were helping the authorities to bring wildfires under control.

Bulgaria is trying to contain a wildfire that spread across the border from neighbouring Greece into territory that contains a minefield. Both countries are using helicopters and planes to fight the blaze, and the army has provided specialised machinery.

Further north, a massive storm hit Latvia and Lithuania on the evening of July 28. As many as 190,000 people lost power, while the heavy rain and strong winds disrupted flights and rail services. BLOOMBERG