EU aircraft join fight against Belgium's record wildfire
A wildfire in Belgium's Hautes Fagnes has become the country's largest on record and forced evacuations near the German border. Belgium called in EU air support on Saturday.
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Europe's heat and drought
Symbolic imageWhere things stand
EU aircraft have joined the fight against Belgium's largest wildfire on record, in the Hautes Fagnes, where Walloon authorities ordered about 600 residents out. North Rhine-Westphalia is still burning, and low water on the Danube keeps Romania's Cernavoda reactors offline.
Europe is going through a run of heatwaves in 2026, with a fourth wave now moving over the south of the continent. The heat has been accompanied by wildfires, including blazes near Bordeaux in France and west of Madrid in Spain, both of which crews have contained but are still watching for flare-ups. The scale of the human cost is measured in heat-related deaths, a figure that usually emerges from statistical estimates rather than direct counts. For Germany, the Global Times, a Chinese state-affiliated outlet, reported on Friday, 31 July, that close to 10,000 such deaths have been registered since the start of the year. That number rests on a single, state-affiliated source and has not been independently confirmed here.
Timeline in detail
Army tanks cut firebreaks as wildfires spread in western Europe
Army tanks cut firebreaks as wildfires spread in western Europe
Hundreds of firefighters and army vehicles are battling what North Rhine-Westphalia's government calls the state's largest forest fire. Britain's prime minister called his country a 'powder keg'.
Britain's hottest day of 2026 as fire empties Greek beaches
Britain's hottest day of 2026 as fire empties Greek beaches
Britain recorded 38.1C on Thursday, its hottest day of 2026, while a wind-driven forest fire forced more than 250 people off beaches in northern Greece.
Romania shuts Cernavoda as record-low Danube throttles Europe's power
Romania shuts Cernavoda as record-low Danube throttles Europe's power
Romania took its only nuclear plant off the grid on Thursday after drought pushed the Danube to record lows. Moldova, which leans on Romanian power, is exposed.
Heat and record-low rivers start showing up in Europe's accounts
Heat and record-low rivers start showing up in Europe's accounts
France's ecology minister put this summer's heat at up to €15bn; a British thinktank counted £4.4bn in lost output. Record-low rivers are hitting freight and power.
Low water on the Rhine forces first production cuts in Germany
Low water on the Rhine forces first production cuts in Germany
Persistent low water on the Rhine is forcing the first companies to cut production, and shifting deliveries entirely to road is barely possible, FAZ reported on Tuesday. Swiss Re put worldwide economic losses from natural disasters in the first half of the year at $100 billion, a sharp decline.
Spain fights worst wildfires in years as new heatwave hits Europe
Spain fights worst wildfires in years as new heatwave hits Europe
Spain is fighting its most destructive wildfires in years as a new heatwave puts Europe on alert. German crews battle forest fires while towns ration drinking water.
Rhine low water threatens to split Germany's main waterway
Rhine low water threatens to split Germany's main waterway
Germany's inland shipping association expects the Rhine gauge at Kaub to fall to single digits this week, splitting the waterway. Chemical firms and retailers warn of bottlenecks.
England under amber heat alerts as drought spreads across Europe
England under amber heat alerts as drought spreads across Europe
Amber heat alerts cover most of England from Tuesday as Britain enters its fifth heatwave of the year, with 36C or higher forecast.
Rhine nears split in two as heat and drought grip Europe
Rhine nears split in two as heat and drought grip Europe
Germany's inland shipping association expects the Rhine gauge at Kaub to fall to a single digit this week for the first time, splitting Europe's busiest waterway in two.
Romania sinks barges in the Danube to cool Cernavoda reactor
Romania sinks barges in the Danube to cool Cernavoda reactor
Romania finished blowing up four barges in the Danube overnight to lift water levels at the Cernavoda nuclear plant. Drought and heat are fuelling fires from Spain to Albania.
Half of England and all of Wales in drought after driest July on record
Half of England and all of Wales in drought after driest July on record
Half of England and all of Wales are officially in drought after England recorded its driest July since records began almost two centuries ago, the Guardian reported on Friday. Hungary separately warned of a dramatic economic hit from drought combined with a nuclear power outage, according to Bloomberg.
Heat and low rivers force power plant shutdowns across the EU
Heat and low rivers force power plant shutdowns across the EU
Power plants in six EU countries are idle because rivers are running low and warm, while shallow water has crippled cargo shipping on the Rhine. The European Commission called the bloc's energy situation tense on Thursday but saw no immediate supply risk.
Record low Rhine halts freight as heat strains Europe's power plants
Record low Rhine halts freight as heat strains Europe's power plants
Drought has pushed the Rhine to historic lows, bringing freight traffic on Germany's most important waterway to a near standstill. Record heat across Europe is straining power plants, farms and health services.
Record low rivers force more reactors offline across Europe
Record low rivers force more reactors offline across Europe
Europe's fourth heatwave of the summer has pushed the Rhine and Danube to record lows, taking nuclear reactors offline in France and Hungary. Barge freight is being cut back or moved to rail.
Record-low Danube and Rhine strain power supply and freight
Record-low Danube and Rhine strain power supply and freight
Le Monde reported on Monday that historically low levels on the Danube have forced several central European countries to shut down part of their nuclear reactors, and that Hungary has told companies to prepare for an energy crisis. Bloomberg reported the same day that the Rhine had fallen to its lowest level since 1880, threatening freight traffic on Europe's main inland waterway.
UK farmers warn drought could cause food shortages
UK farmers warn drought could cause food shortages
The National Farmers' Union warned that Britain could face shortages of certain foods after a punishing drought in parts of England, the Guardian reported on Sunday. Farmers are trying to salvage what they can of their crops, with the heatwave set to continue.
Hungary shuts sole nuclear plant as Danube hits record low
Hungary shuts sole nuclear plant as Danube hits record low
Hungary fully shut down its only nuclear power plant near Paks for the first time on Sunday after record-low water levels in the Danube cut off cooling water; the plant normally covers half the country's electricity demand. Prime Minister Péter Magyar told broadcaster RTL the shutdown could last more than a month, and the government has called on households to save electricity.
Two water-bomber pilots killed as wildfire destroys homes near Athens
Two water-bomber pilots killed as wildfire destroys homes near Athens
A wildfire northwest of Athens has destroyed more than 100 homes, and two firefighting helicopters collided on Sunday, killing the two-person crew of one aircraft. Crews now face new fire fronts near the coastal village of Porto Germeno.
Wildfires and extreme heat grip southern Europe
Wildfires and extreme heat grip southern Europe
Wildfires burned across Spain and France as parts of Europe baked in extreme heat, with Berlin reaching 37C on Saturday, according to FAZ. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the fires had been brought under control, citing the Gironde department, where the blaze created its own air currents; the New York Times found towns along the southwest coast deserted after tens of thousands of people fled.
Hungary shuts its only nuclear plant as Danube falls to record low
Hungary shuts its only nuclear plant as Danube falls to record low
Hungary powered down the Paks nuclear plant on Sunday, the first full halt in its 44-year history, after record-low Danube levels cut off cooling water. The plant supplies nearly half of the country's electricity.
Germany counts nearly 10,000 heat deaths this year
Germany counts nearly 10,000 heat deaths this year
Germany has registered close to 10,000 heat-related deaths since the start of 2026, according to a report published on Friday by the Chinese state-affiliated outlet Global Times. The figure comes during a run of heatwaves across Europe, with a fourth wave now pushing over the south.