Southern Europe wildfires worsen as meteorologist warns of heat dome

Wildfires have spread across southern Europe in recent days, with authorities battling blazes in Greece, Spain, Portugal, and France, Yle reports.

In Greece, firefighters contained a large wildfire near Thessaloniki’s suburbs on Sunday morning. The fire damaged commercial buildings but did not reach residential areas.

On Saturday, 150 people were evacuated from the Costa Brava resort area in northeastern Spain as a wildfire destroyed eight square kilometres of forest. Portugal extinguished six separate wildfires on Friday, while fires also broke out near Perpignan in southern France, prompting the evacuation of thousands, according to Le Monde.

Extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in Portugal, has hindered firefighting efforts, with red weather warnings for extreme heat in effect.

Yle meteorologist Anne Borgström noted that while southern European wildfires are not uncommon in summer, this year’s fires in France began earlier than usual. She attributed the increased risk to prolonged heat and drought, which dry out vegetation and make fires more likely to spread.

A new heatwave is expected next week in western and southern Europe, worsening drought conditions. Borgström warned of a “heat dome”—a high-pressure system that traps hot air, preventing cloud formation and rainfall, further elevating wildfire risks.

No rain is forecast for southern Europe’s fire-affected regions in the early days of July.