The heatwave that hit Spain on 3 August is still going strong. Heat warnings are in place across almost the whole country. In many places, temperatures reached 40°C to 42°C, with Tuesday marking the hottest day so far at 45°C. Even at night, minimum temperatures of 23°C to 25°C were common, especially in many areas in the centre, south and on the Mediterranean coast, providing no relief [1, 2].
In addition, severe forest fires in the north-west have already destroyed over 11,500 hectares. So far, over 8,000 people have had to be evacuated from 26 towns. Three people have died in the flames and several have been taken to hospital with severe burns. In view of the weather forecast, which continues to predict high temperatures, Spain officially asked the EU on Wednesday for help in fighting the forest fires. As a precautionary measure, the country requested two firefighting planes so that they could be deployed quickly if necessary [2, 3].
Other regions in southern Europe are also currently battling heat and forest fires. Portugal, France, Italy and Greece are among those affected. While the largest fire in France in decades has been largely extinguished, firefighters are still battling the flames in Greece [4].
[1] Extreme Temperaturen in Spanien: Wie lange wird die Hitze anhalten? | Euronews (accessed on 15.10.2025)
[2] Schwere Waldbrände: Spanien bittet europäische Partner um Hilfe | tagesschau.de (accessed on 15.10.2025)
[3] Waldbrand: Spanien fordert EU-Unterstützung bei Waldbränden an | DIE ZEIT (accessed on 15.10.2025)
[4] Hitzewelle in Südeuropa: In Spanien und Frankreich werden Warnungen ausgegeben – Panorama – SZ.de (accessed on 15.10.2025)
(Image Source: Pixabay)