A severe heatwave sweeping much of Europe is pushing temperatures above 40°C (104°F), fuelling hundreds of wildfires from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans and prompting top-tier weather alerts in several countries, according to national meteorological agencies and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Scientists link the episode to increasingly hotter and drier summers in the Mediterranean basin, warning that the continent is on track for one of its worst fire seasons in decades. Spain faces the most acute emergency. Blazes driven by strong winds generated rare “fire whirls” in Castile and Leon, burning houses and forcing about 800 residents to leave six villages near the UNESCO-listed Las Médulas archaeological park. Separate fires have triggered evacuations near Madrid’s Tres Cantos suburb and the tourist hub of Tarifa in Andalusia. Local officials said lightning may have started some outbreaks but described most as deliberate acts of arson. In France, Météo-France placed three-quarters of the country on heat vigilance, with 14 departments under its highest red alert. Bordeaux set an all-time record of 41.6°C, while crews in southwest vineyards remained on standby after fires earlier scorched 16,000 hectares in neighbouring Aude. Authorities have curtailed outdoor work sites and public events in the Rhône valley as temperatures are expected to remain at or above 40°C for several days. Neighbouring Portugal is battling three major blazes, the largest near Trancoso where nearly 700 firefighters are deployed; around 52,000 hectares have burned nationwide this year, surpassing the long-term average. Italy’s health ministry issued red alerts for seven cities, and a four-year-old boy in Sardinia died of heatstroke. Albania, Montenegro and Croatia are also fighting fires as thermometers climb past 41°C. The WMO estimates that 353,000 hectares have been charred across Europe so far in 2025—twice last year’s tally—and warns that the season could extend into October if dry conditions persist.