Deadly heatwave grips Italy and Balkans as wildfire fears grow

Older people remain most at risk as the heatwave drives up excess deaths across Europe.

A record-breaking heatwave has tightened its grip on Italy and the Balkans, killing hundreds of people, fuelling wildfire fears and disrupting daily life across Europe.

In Italy, authorities placed 22 cities under red heat warnings on Monday, from Bolzano in the north to Palermo on the southern island of Sicily.

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At the Vatican, pilgrims used fans and umbrellas to shield themselves from the heat as Pope Leo delivered his Angelus message from a balcony on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, a holiday in Rome.

Croatia’s weather service issued red alerts for several regions, including the capital, Zagreb, and the tourist cities of Split and Dubrovnik. On the Adriatic island of Vis, dozens of firefighters, backed by four aircraft, battled a wildfire burning through pine forests about 55km (35 miles) southwest of Split.

Much of the Balkans also remained under extreme heat, with temperatures above 35C (95F) forecast across parts of Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Hungary.

In neighbouring Albania, firefighters managed to contain a wildfire that tore through bushes and olive trees near the southern village of Klos.

“With the extreme heat the risk of forest fires increases, but we are also seeing a lot of rainstorms, which obviously mitigates that risk,” Italian Meteorological Society president Luca Mercalli told Reuters. He noted, however, that storms were localised and the amount of rainfall would vary from place to place.

Forecasters say the heat is far from over. Italian Air Force meteorologist Daniele Mocio said current temperatures are expected to persist, staying at eight to 10 degrees Celsius above average for several more days.

Although Western Europe has seen some relief after record June temperatures, Mercalli said another surge of hot weather is expected from July 5 or 6, affecting France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and parts of Britain.

The heatwave in Europe, which began on June 20, has already strained healthcare systems, damaged infrastructure and disrupted power generation.

The World Health Organization says 1,300 excess deaths have been reported across the continent since June 21.

France has reported 1,000 excess deaths linked to the heatwave. Its public health agency said most victims were older people and warned that the number was expected to rise.

French media reported that funeral homes in Paris and the surrounding region had struggled to cope with the number of bodies.

Scientists said the heatwave would have been “virtually ‌impossible” without human-caused climate change, which has made this week’s extreme night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been two decades ago.

Posting on X on Sunday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average.

“Heat stress is often called the “silent killer,” he wrote. “European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures.”