Extreme heatwaves have engulfed Europe, sparking wildfires and putting tens of thousands of lives at risk.
Southern Europe is experiencing an unprecedented heat wave, with temperatures already rising to 46 degrees Celsius.
Politico writes about this.
At the same time, similar anomalies, as well as fires and numerous civilian casualties, were recorded in Italy, Greece, Portugal and the Western Balkan countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm and calling on governments in the region to take urgent action to prevent tens of thousands of “excess and largely avoidable deaths.” According to statistician Pierre Macelot of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, more than 4,500 people could die in Europe from the effects of the heat between June 30 and July 3, 2025 alone.
“It is no longer a question of whether there will be a heat wave, but only how many heat waves we will experience this year and how long they will last,” said Marisol Iglesias González, WHO technical officer for climate change and health.
According to WHO statistics, more than 175,000 people die every year due to heat in a region stretching from Iceland to Russia. A large study covering 854 European cities and published in January 2025 warns that without significant adaptation of climate systems, these numbers will only increase.
In Spain, nearly two-thirds of cities have been issued health warnings, with 804 at the highest level. Similar warnings are also in place in France, Italy, Portugal and Greece, where temperatures are hovering at extremely high levels.
In addition to the heat, the Greek government is also warning of air pollution from massive forest fires engulfing coastal areas near Athens, while in Turkey, more than 50,000 people have been evacuated due to a fire near Izmir.
The fire situation is also acute in other countries: in Albania, 26 fires were registered in one day, and in Serbia, last Thursday was the hottest day in the history of meteorological observations, which have been conducted since the 19th century.
WHO advises people to take simple but vital measures: drink enough water, avoid sun exposure during midday hours, cool down indoors, especially for at-risk groups such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, outdoor workers and patients with chronic diseases. Attention should also be paid to those taking certain medications such as antidepressants or blood pressure medications, as they can impair the body's ability to regulate temperature.
Experts stress that it is critical not only to respond to extreme heat waves, but also to prepare for them in advance. According to WHO, in 2022, only 21 of 57 European countries had a formal national action plan to minimize heat damage, and only 14 of them are members of the European Union.
Early warning systems and information campaigns are the most common measures used by governments, but health systems and urban planning to reduce the impact of heat are underdeveloped. The WHO has announced that it will issue new guidelines for governments in 2026 that will include “people-centred cooling” strategies, especially in cities and regions, to better protect populations from climate challenges.
Let us recall that earlier we wrote that in the first week of July in Ukraine The week will start with fresh and moderate weather, but already from the middle of the week heat is expected, which will affect most regions.
