FEELING THE HEAT

As the UK endures yet another heatwave and wildfires sweep across southern Europe, climate scientist Chloe Brimicombe explores the broader impact of weather patterns on our lives

- By Chloe Brimicombe

Europe is burning. This week, we have seen heatwaves across southern Europe, sparking blazes from Portugal to the Balkans. Spain broke its hottest temperature record on 28 June, and on Wednesday, the country was battling its 10th consecutive day of extreme heat. With the heatwave expected to last until Monday, it is set to become one of the longest the country has ever experienced.

We have seen the biggest wildfires in France since 1949, with an area around the size of Paris burning in a very short period. Fires have raged on the outskirts of Naples and are currently out of control in Greece, which has requested EU water bombers to aid nearly 5,000 firefighters tackling more than 20 blazes.

The combination of drought, heatwaves, and wildfires has become common in 2025. We are now in a period of “compound hazards”, when two or more climate events affect each other. For example, landslides caused by fires followed by intense rainfall or flooding - these are multiple extreme environmental occurrences happening either at the same time or one after the other.

I have researched heatwaves for six years and helped develop parts of early warning systems for heat. We can often tell three months in advance if a specific summer season is particularly at risk of heatwaves, as was the case this year.