PARIS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The extreme heat wave that swept across Europe in late June triggered a public health crisis while sharply increasing the risk of wildfires.
Extremely high temperatures contributed to a surge in excess deaths across several countries, particularly among the elderly, while prolonged drought left soil and vegetation tinder-dry, bringing an earlier and destructive wildfire season.
According to preliminary data, France recorded at least 2,025 excess deaths during the week of June 22-28. People aged 65 and older accounted for 85 percent of confirmed heat-related deaths. In Belgium, 1,222 excess deaths were recorded between June 18 and 29, representing a 39 percent increase in excess mortality.
Meanwhile, Spain's daily mortality monitoring system attributed 1,029 excess deaths in June to unusually high temperatures, and the Netherlands reported around 480 excess deaths, most of them among older people.
The health impacts were driven not only by extreme daytime temperatures but also by persistently hot nights. France described the episode as the most intense heatwave ever recorded in mainland France and Corsica, with the national 24-hour average temperature exceeding 30 degrees Celsius for the first time. Nighttime temperatures remained unusually high, preventing the body from recovering from heat accumulated during the day.
Analysts said several structural factors have amplified the deadly impact of extreme heat across Europe, including an aging population, social isolation, poorly insulated housing, limited access to air conditioning and the urban heat island effect. In Northern Europe, many buildings were designed to retain heat rather than dissipate it.
Persistent heat and scarce rainfall also dried out vegetation and soil, making landscapes highly combustible and bringing an unusually early start to the wildfire season in several countries.
France has recorded approximately 7,000 fires since the start of summer, burning nearly 8,700 hectares, with the worst blazes concentrated in the south. Authorities said the fire season began about two to three weeks earlier than in previous years.
In Germany, wildfires also exposed specific challenges related to geography and history. In Rotenfels, near Traisen in Western Germany, about 650 people were evacuated as flames spread through a difficult-to-access forest. The presence of unexploded World War II-era munitions prevented firefighters from intervening directly, forcing them to rely on roadblocks, sprinkler systems, firebreaks, and firefighting robots.
On Croatia's Adriatic coast, high temperatures, dry vegetation and strong winds fueled the flames. During the first half of the year, approximately 2,800 wildfires destroyed more than 6,300 hectares, a sharp increase from the same period last year. Greece, where summer wildfires are common, has been battling dozens of forest and wildland fires almost daily.
In Italy, persistent heat and drought have placed certain southern regions, as well as Sicily and Sardinia, at "extreme" or "very extreme" fire risk. In central Portugal, a wildfire in Vouzela injured seven people, forced the evacuation of two villages, and burned more than 7,000 hectares. With both the number of fires and the area burned more than doubling from the same period in 2025, Portugal has raised its rural firefighting response system to its highest operational level.
Governments across Europe have responded by tightening prevention rules and strengthening emergency preparedness. France has expanded the use of drones and artificial intelligence (AI) and reinforced firefighter training. Greece has intensified early-warning systems, restricted access to forests, mandated vegetation clearance and expanded drone- and AI-assisted satellite monitoring.
Portugal has banned the use of machinery in forests, brush clearing with metal blades and fireworks during high-risk periods. Italy has activated its national heatwave plan, issued regular heat alerts, and stepped up monitoring of heat-related deaths and emergency hospital admissions.
The latest heatwave showed how Europe is entering an era in which extreme summer weather is arriving earlier, lasting longer and becoming increasingly difficult to manage. As heat, drought and wildfires reinforce one another, they are placing mounting pressure on healthcare systems, critical infrastructure and emergency services, posing a growing challenge for governments across Europe. ■