EconomyWildfires, crop failures and drying rivers are accompanying Europe’s fifth heatwave of the year. Economists warn that extreme heat is becoming an economic risk, hitting output, tourism, food prices, insurance and public budgets at once. The estimated cost this year is $209bn, about 1 percent of EU GDP.
EconomyGermany’s manufacturing sector had its strongest performance in more than four years in August, helping overall business activity grow for a second consecutive month. France’s private sector unexpectedly weakened as extreme summer heat hurt services. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he was ready to expand efforts to buy back more expensive debt, while the administration plans a new fiscal initiative.
Bloomberg Television
PoliticsGermany is becoming hotter and drier at an unprecedented pace, yet climate change is not a priority for many politicians. DW examines the widening gap between climate reality and political action with sustainability researcher Maja Göpel and SPD climate spokesperson Jakob Blankenburg, asking what continued delay could mean for Germany.
SocietyHeatwaves have badly affected much of France’s agricultural sector, but the high temperatures are proving ideal for salt harvesting in the famous marshes of Guérande in western France. The summer harvest there is expected to be particularly abundant.
SocietyFive years after Floridia in Sicily recorded Europe’s highest-ever temperature of 119.8°F, residents say extreme heat has severely disrupted traditions such as “pigghiari u frescu,” when families go outside to catch a breeze and socialize.
Reuters
WorldEmergency crews are struggling to control a wildfire that has been burning in Serbia for weeks. Extreme-condition warnings cover much of the Balkans as authorities caution that the sweltering heat that swept Europe this summer may return.
HealthBehavioural scientist and public health researcher Simon Williams says the health effects of extreme heat, particularly on older adults, are emerging earlier and at lower levels of warming than previously understood.
WorldEurope’s “summer that burned” has spread from Mediterranean mountains to northern forests, turning Belgium’s High Fens, known as the country’s “green lung,” into a smouldering wasteland. The deadliest effects of the heat are occurring away from fires, in care homes and apartments where vulnerable people die quietly. Europe recorded about 16,000 excess deaths in June, while Belgium’s mortality rose 48%.
WorldCooler, wetter weather has eased conditions in Paris after weeks of severe heat, but France recorded at least 1,200 additional deaths during its July heatwave, following more than 5,700 deaths in an earlier heatwave. Extreme weather is still affecting parts of Europe, where wildfires from Belgium to the Mediterranean have prompted further evacuations.
CultureDrought and recurring heatwaves are visibly affecting the gardens of Chambord château. With vegetation parched, gardeners are being forced to reconsider landscape designs and plant species.
ScienceA study finds that Europe’s oceans are warming rapidly, with a clear cause and “severe ecological impacts.” While warmer seas may appeal to swimmers, the changes beneath the surface are alarming, it warns.
WorldFirefighters made a decisive effort on Tuesday to encircle a wildfire in Belgium. Wind and rain hampered aerial support, and officials said the situation remained complicated despite the overnight containment.
ScienceWith drought affecting 70% of England during its hottest summer on record, beef farmer Sam Squier’s nearly 200-acre farm near Chelmsford remains lush. He credits regenerative farming methods he has practiced for eight years.
Reuters
ScienceA couple cycled 3,000 kilometres along the Danube, observing from its banks what drought looks like and finding what they describe as small signs of hope.
World1:25Heavy rain and water-dropping aircraft have not fully contained a vast peat fire in Belgium’s eastern High Fens. About 3,000 hectares of natural forest have become a smouldering wasteland, with the fire spreading a metre underground through bog peat. Smoke has hospitalized two firefighters, displaced residents and raised evacuation concerns in nearby Monschau, Germany.
CultureA succession of heatwaves in France this year has badly affected plants and garden maintenance, including at Claude Monet’s former home and gardens in Giverny, Normandy. Several of the site’s best-known attractions have been damaged by the heat.
SocietyThe French government has approved a €12 million special budget for towns hit by recent wildfires in southern France. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also announced measures including tax breaks for affected companies. He had earlier been jeered by some residents during a visit to Le Porge, where 183 homes were destroyed by fire.
WorldFire crews continue to deal with a significant number of fires across Wales and England. Phil Garrigan of the National Fire Chiefs Council said further high temperatures in England remained possible and that services would need to be ready if a sixth heatwave develops. The Met Office expects meaningful rain in parts of the UK this week.
BBC News
WorldA wildfire in Salamina, Greece, killed two people, injured nine others and destroyed several homes. Strong winds drove the blaze’s rapid spread, and the victims’ bodies were recovered Sunday in the village of Peristeria.
The Associated Press
WorldA wildfire in Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve is nearing Germany. Forestry officials warn that fires can smolder in the peat bogs the area is known for and reignite elsewhere, while unexploded ordnance may also be present.
The Associated Press
WorldBelgium is struggling to contain its largest wildfire on record as European partners send aircraft and helicopters through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The High Fens fire has burned about 3,000 hectares and moved toward the German border, prompting evacuations and smoke alerts on both sides. Difficult terrain is limiting ground operations and increasing reliance on aerial support.
WorldBelgium's largest wildfire on record has burned about 3,000 hectares in the High Fens nature reserve, triggering evacuations and a major firefighting operation supported by neighboring countries. A Belgian official called it the nation's worst ecological disaster.
Reuters
ScienceEurope is warming faster than any other continent. Deadly heatwaves, shrinking rivers, drought and wildfires are among this summer’s extremes, raising questions about how Europe can prepare for the changes.
WorldBelgium is battling its worst wildfires in more than a century, with hundreds of firefighters tackling flames in the Hautes Fagnes nature reserve. Germany, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands have sent reinforcements, including helicopters, while several towns are evacuated.