Europe is enduring its fourth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures exceeding 40 °C from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans and triggering new records in France. Météo-France has kept Aude, Isère, Rhône, Drôme and Ardèche under red-level heat alerts through Thursday morning, while 68 other departments remain on orange alert. Sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean have reached 27 °C off Corsica and could approach an unprecedented 30 °C next week, raising concerns about ecosystem disruption. In France, the thermometer jumped to 41.6 °C in Bordeaux and 42.9 °C in Saint-Laurent-du-Pape, eclipsing marks that stood for decades. Night-time relief has disappeared in cities such as Nice, where readings have not dipped below 25 °C for three days, and peaks of 35 °C have been recorded at 1,000 meters in the Alps. Heat-related ozone pollution has prompted speed restrictions around Paris and the Riviera, rail operators have cancelled services during the hottest hours, and 12 departments face orange-level thunderstorm warnings as the atmosphere destabilises. The extreme conditions are amplifying wildfire risks. Although a deadly blaze in the Aude has been contained, 500 firefighters remain on site, and 28 departments are classed at high risk of new outbreaks. Across the Mediterranean, Greece has deployed about 5,000 firefighters and 33 aircraft to battle fires near Patras and on the islands of Chios and Zakynthos, forcing the evacuation of residents and tourists. Governments are scrambling to adapt. Spain has shifted outdoor work schedules as temperatures reach 44 °C in Seville, the UK is bracing for 34 °C amid water shortages, and demand for air-conditioning is climbing across Europe. French Ecological Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said the heat underscored the need to "build better and adapt," while climatologist Françoise Vimeux warned that extremes considered exceptional today could become commonplace within 20-25 years as climate change accelerates.