Hospitals, forests and water supplies are under pressure as dry conditions push emergency services into a race against rapidly spreading flames.
In the United Kingdom, which recorded its hottest day since the start of 2026, fire crews are battling several major wildfires. In west London, temperatures reached 38.1°C, surpassing by 0.1°C the previous high set on 28 June.
The most difficult situation has developed in the West Midlands, where the fire destroyed several homes. Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said it was one of the largest fires the regional fire service had ever had to tackle.
After a fire broke out in Stourbridge, a child and three firefighters were taken to hospital. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker described the series of fires in the region as an extremely alarming and rapidly changing situation.
According to Parker, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is being kept informed of developments. The government also promised to provide additional resources to West Midlands fire and rescue services if necessary. The causes of the fires have not yet been established, and efforts to extinguish them may continue for several more days.
Record Heat in the United Kingdom and France
The current heatwave is the fifth in the United Kingdom since the beginning of 2026. The first heatwave of the year was recorded back in May. The country has already seen four record-breaking days with temperatures of at least 36°C, while temperatures have reached 38°C twice – the same number of times as throughout 2022.
Such exceptionally high temperatures are linked to human-caused climate change. France is also experiencing its fifth heatwave of the year: temperatures approached 41°C in areas stretching from Aquitaine in the southwest to the Rhône Valley in the east.
The United Kingdom and France have proved insufficiently adapted to extreme heat, as air conditioning is rarely installed outside shops and offices. The Royal College of Nursing said nurses had fainted from heat exhaustion while at work in hospitals, many of which are housed in old buildings without adequate cooling.
When healthcare staff are fainting, feeling dizzy, nauseous, or even ending up in the hospitals where they work because their workplaces cannot cope with the heat, it shows how seriously the system is failing them.
– Nicola Ranger
Drought Raises Wildfire Risk in Europe
Parched ground and a prolonged lack of significant rainfall are forcing emergency services in various European countries to operate at heightened capacity. In France, firefighters who have already endured a difficult summer are threatening to strike. They are demanding more staff and additional resources to respond to increasingly extreme weather events.
New fires have broken out in northern France, in Pas-de-Calais and Brittany. Last month was also marked by a major fire near Bordeaux, which destroyed woodland and forced around 250,000 people to leave their homes.
In northern Greece, more than 300 tourists and local residents were evacuated by sea when a fire swept through a pine forest and approached coastal homes. Near the resort of Siviri on the Halkidiki peninsula, 250 firefighters, nine water-dropping aircraft, and seven helicopters were deployed to fight the blaze. No injuries or major damage were reported.
In the United Kingdom, emergency crews are also containing a fire in the New Forest in southern England. Since the start of the year, 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales – the same number as during the entire record-breaking previous year.
Consequences of Drought for Water Supplies and Agriculture
The drought in the United Kingdom and France is already having a negative impact on crops, causing rivers to run low and increasing pressure on water supplies. Southern Water has applied for a special permit that could restrict non-essential water use by businesses.
This includes car washing and filling swimming pools not intended for private households. The decision on the application is to be made by Environment Secretary Angela Eagle.
Forecasts indicate that the most intense heat will begin moving eastward away from the United Kingdom and France on Friday, with temperatures gradually falling over the weekend. However, the high wildfire risk will remain until dry conditions are replaced by substantial rainfall.