A powerful heatwave sweeping Europe this week is pushing temperatures well beyond seasonal norms, straining public-health systems and infrastructure from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. Meteorological agencies link the episode to a persistent high-pressure ridge that is trapping hot air over the continent and raising sea-surface temperatures in the Mediterranean to almost 30 °C. France is experiencing the most acute conditions. Météo-France placed 14 departments under its highest, red-level heat alert after thermometers reached 42.9 °C in Saint-Laurent-du-Pape, Ardèche, eclipsing the town’s 2023 record. Bordeaux, Roquefort and other south-western cities also topped 42 °C, while shelter centres were opened in Bordeaux for vulnerable residents. Forecasters warn that elevated overnight temperatures and sporadic thunderstorms could prolong the health risk through the weekend of 15 August. In the United Kingdom, the UK Health Security Agency and City Hall issued an amber heat-health warning and a high-pollution alert for London from Tuesday morning until Wednesday evening, with the Met Office expecting highs of 34 °C. Authorities urged residents to avoid engine idling and refrain from burning garden waste as strong sunshine is forecast to elevate ozone levels. Germany’s national weather service, DWD, forecasts daytime temperatures approaching 38 °C later in the week, accompanied by high humidity and the risk of severe thunderstorms. The prolonged heat is fuelling a surge in demand for cooling equipment; the Federal Statistical Office reported a 92 % jump in domestic air-conditioner production last year to 317,000 units, while imports remained near €1 billion. The extreme conditions are intensifying wildfire activity around the Mediterranean. A large forest fire in Turkey’s Çanakkale province forced authorities to close the Dardanelles Strait to shipping for several hours on 11 August, halting a vital corridor for oil and gas exports from the Black Sea and Central Asia before traffic quickly resumed. EU officials say roughly 360,000 hectares of land have burned across the continent since January, prompting the bloc to deploy aircraft, helicopters and more than 600 firefighters to vulnerable member states.