Scorching Heatwave Grips Southeast Europe as Wildfires Rage and Death Toll Rises

By Aleksandar Vasovic and Gavin Jones

BELGRADE/ROME, June 29 (Reuters) — The Balkans felt the full force of a relentless heatwave on Monday as wildfires broke out on tourist islands and temperatures soared past 39°C (102°F), adding to a crisis that has already caused hundreds of excess deaths across Europe over the past week.

The heatwave, which began on June 20, has been described by scientists as the most severe ever recorded on the continent. It has disrupted power generation, damaged infrastructure, and overwhelmed health systems in multiple countries. France alone reported 1,000 excess deaths, most involving the elderly, with officials warning the toll could rise.

In Croatia, the weather service issued a red alert for regions including the capital Zagreb and the popular tourist destinations of Split and Dubrovnik. Dozens of firefighters, aided by four aircraft, battled a wildfire consuming pine forests on the Adriatic island of Vis, about 55 km (34 miles) southwest of Split. The blaze threatened holiday resorts and prompted evacuations in some coastal areas.

Further south, Albania managed to contain a wildfire that destroyed hectares of bushes and olive trees near the southern village of Klos over the weekend. But officials said the risk of new outbreaks remained high amid dry conditions and gusty winds.

In Serbia, the State Hydrometeorological Service (RHMZ) warned temperatures would hit 39°C (102°F) on Monday, driving up demand for electricity and water. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors during peak hours and check on vulnerable neighbors.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution network concluded that the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. They noted that such blistering night-time temperatures are now 100 times more likely than they were two decades ago, amplifying health risks as bodies struggle to recover from daytime heat.

Looking ahead, Luca Mercalli, president of Italy's Meteorological Society, said temperatures were expected to surge again from July 5–6, affecting the same regions hit hardest in the first wave—France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and parts of Britain. With extreme heat the risk of forest fires increases, but we are also seeing a lot of rainstorms, which obviously mitigates that risk, he said, highlighting the patchy nature of the storms that can leave some areas parched while others get drenched.

Tragedy struck over the weekend in separate incidents linked to the heat. In Cyprus, police reported that two boys aged 8 and 10 from Bulgaria were found dead in a hot car on Sunday afternoon. Though temperatures on the east Mediterranean island reached around 38°C (100°F), it was not classified as a heatwave for that region at this time of year. In Poland, two cyclists—a 30-year-old man and a 71-year-old man—died while participating in the Poland Bike Marathon series near Warsaw on Sunday as temperatures in the country hit a record high of 40.5°C (105°F).

As the heatwave continues to test Europe's resilience, authorities across the continent are bracing for further strain on emergency services and infrastructure, with climate scientists warning that such extreme events will only become more frequent and intense without drastic emissions cuts.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade, Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo, Fatos Bytyci in Tirana, Gavin Jones in Rome, Michele Kambas in Nicosia, and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk in Warsaw; Editing by William Maclean)