The weekend set a new national heat record in Spain, with temperatures reaching 46 degrees Celsius in the town of El Granado near the Portuguese border as wider early summer heat waves captured parts of Portugal, France and Greece.
Spain's National Weather Service AEMET confirmed the record temperature on Saturday. In 1965, the height of 45.2 degrees in Spain was 45.2 degrees in June.
Dozens of towns across Spain report temperatures above 40 degrees or above, while nearby Portugal is also stuffy. In the Algarve tourist area in the southern part of the country, the high point reaches about 40 degrees.
On the Mallorca resort island in Spain, the temperature rose to nearly 35 degrees.
Overnight conditions were hardly alleviated. In southern Spain, night lows remain above 30 degrees, which experts say persistent calories can pose serious health risks.
Locals are accustomed to restricting outdoor activities during peak hours, wearing lightweight clothing and often moisturizing to cope with extreme temperatures. However, the combination of hot heat and strong sunlight is rapidly drying the soil and vegetation, greatly increasing the risk of wildfires.
Meteorologists warn that this heat wave is becoming more frequent due to human-driven climate change and arrives earlier this season.
According to AEMET, between 1975 and June 2000, only two heat waves were recorded. Between 2000 and 2024, this number rose to nine. This year, as early as late May, temperatures approached August levels.
France and Greece also feel the heat
France is also stuffy under the heat wave and is expected to continue until mid-next week. On Monday, temperatures are expected to be above 35 degrees in most parts of the country. According to the French National Meteorological Service, Paris's highest point could reach 40 degrees by Tuesday.
Amidst the continued heat, wildfires broke out in southern France, possibly caused by barbecue.
According to Carcassonne's local county, a portion of the A61 motorway was closed and evacuated Bizanet's campsite.
Local Civil Protection Director Christian Pougouget told broadcaster BFMTV on Sunday that seven fires were reported to have occurred in total when a person was transporting a barbecue in a trailer.
In the small cities of Bizanet alone, more than 150 firefighters are fighting the flames. The authorities said fire helicopters were also deployed.
The fire affected 400 hectares of land.
Experts point out that it is challenging to directly link individual wildfires to climate change.
In Greece, strong winds suddenly caused a three-day heat wave, and the temperature dropped from 40 degrees to 30 degrees in a few hours, according to the National Meteorological Administration.
Despite cooling, the combination of heat and wind prompted Greece's Civil Protection Agency to declare the highest level of fire hazard in large swathes of the country.
The main wildfires have broken through the European summers in southern Athens and Chios.
