A brutal and widespread heatwave is tightening its grip across Southern Europe this weekend, forcing authorities from Portugal to Greece to issue emergency alerts as temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and officials warn of a severe threat to public health.
The intense, early-summer heat spell is testing the region’s emergency response systems and serves as a stark reminder of Europe’s vulnerability to a rapidly changing climate.
In Italy, the government has placed nearly 20 major cities, including Rome and Venice, on red alert—its highest warning level.
The alert cautions that the extreme heat poses a risk not just to vulnerable groups but to the entire population.
The country, which holds the record for continental Europe’s highest temperature at 48.8°C (119.8°F) set in 2021, is once again on the front line of climate intensity.
France has issued an orange alert for four of its southern Mediterranean regions, where the national weather agency says high sea surface temperatures are preventing nighttime cooling and creating suffocating conditions.
With daytime highs expected to hit 39°C (102°F), officials in Provence have closed many of the region's fire-prone forests to the public.
In Marseille, the city has made its public swimming pools free of charge until the heatwave subsides.
The Iberian Peninsula is also facing extreme conditions. Spain’s national weather agency, Aemet, has warned that the country’s first major heatwave of the summer will peak on Sunday and Monday, with temperatures expected to climb to 42°C (108°F) in the southern Andalusia region.
In neighboring Portugal, two-thirds of the country is under an orange alert, with Lisbon also forecast to reach 42°C.
The heat extends into the Balkans, where Serbia has recorded temperatures nearly 10 degrees above the seasonal average.
In Greece, where the first major heatwave of the summer has already sparked several large wildfires this week, authorities remain on high alert.
This is not just a regional weather event—it is a continental warning.
The strain on health systems, ecosystems, and infrastructure is a clear sign that adapting to a hotter and more volatile climate is no longer optional, but a matter of urgent necessity.