What we covered
And that is where we will leave our live coverage of Thursday’s extreme weather across Europe. Thanks for following along.
Here are the main headlines:
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The UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far as temperatures reached 38.1C in London’s Kew Gardens (14.24). A former chief scientific adviser to the UK government warned this summer’s “shattering” heat was only a sign of things to come (11:54).
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Several homes caught alight and two people received treatment as firefighters battled a grassfire in England’s West Midlands (18.39).
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Temperatures exceeded 40C elsewhere in Europe. France’s heatwave reached a 17th day, marking the third-longest period of extreme temperatures ever recorded in the country (12.35).
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In Greece, a fleet of small boats evacuated more than 250 tourists and locals from the resort village of Siviri, in the country’s north, as a large wildfire bore down on homes and holiday villas. Many were still wearing bathing costumes (19:41).
Updated
Hundreds flee by boat as fire threatens Greek resort village
We are getting more updates from Siviri, the seaside town in northern Greece where firefighters are battling a large wildfire.
A fleet of 15 boats evacuated more than 250 tourists from the beach, local public television reported.
AFP reported many evacuees were still wearing bathing costumes. Some were carrying children.
Images broadcast on local TV showed dozens of people queueing on a pontoon waiting to flee – as smoke blotted out the sky over the resorts.
“We are on the beach and looking for a way to get away,” Sophia, a homeowner in the region who only gave her first name, told AFP by phone.
Firefighters said strong winds, which were forecast to reach up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour, made tackling the blaze difficult.
Wildfires are not unusual in Greece this time of year, but the risk is increasing as climate breakdown fuels droughts and prolonged extreme weather.
Of the 40 forest fires reported across Greece in the last 24 hours, nine were still not controlled by late Thursday.
Updated
Several homes ablaze in West Midlands wildfire
Footage from Sky News shows several homes on fire in England’s West Midlands as firefighters tackle a large grassfire near a golfcourse in Stourbridge.
Stourbridge town hall has been set up as a rest centre for those fleeing their homes.
“Transport is also being arranged for those who can’t make their own way,” West Midlands fire service said in a social media post.
“If you must drive, take extra care if you are driving, avoid areas of dense smoke, and please don’t head to areas where fires are taking place to watch.”
About 60 firefighters were on scene, the service said.
There was no immediate information on injuries or damage to property.
Updated
The Met Office has released a few more details about what is now (provisionally) the UK’s fifth hottest day on record.
Earlier (16.24) we reported a provisional reading of 38.1C at Kew Gardens, which would make this the hottest day of the year so far.
The mercury also reached 38C in Pershore, Worcestershire. A total of 40 locations across central and southern England recorded temperatures of 36C or higher, the Met Office said.
“This current spell of extreme heat is the latest in a remarkable summer,” said chief forecaster Neil Armstrong.
Temperatures will stay above 20C in London overnight, which the Met Office officially classifies as a “tropical night”.
Friday will be slightly cooler, although still forecast to reach highs of 34C in the south-east. Weekend temperatures will remain in the 30s before a gradual return to average next week, Armstrong said.
Updated
Firefighter injured, tourists flee as Greek wildfire descends on resort village
Famous for its pine forests and turquoise water, the Chalkidiki peninsula is teeming with tourists this time of year.
Now, many have been forced to flee the peninsula by land and sea.
Videos seen by Reuters showed people boarding dinghies and fire brigade boats in Siviri as the blaze ate through nearby forest and smoke enveloped the sky.
More than 140 firefighters, nine aircraft and seven helicopters were deployed to battle flames raging on both sides of the main road, the local fire brigade said in a statement.
One firefighter was injured, Reuters reported.
“Our effort is focused on extinguishing the fire and the safe transport of people,” fire brigade spokesperson Giannis Artopios told Protothema news portal.
Two fire boats, private boats and the coastguard were involved in the evacuation, he said.
We now have some pictures coming through of that wildfire in northern Greece, which Greek media have reported as being out of control (16.20).
These pictures are from Siviri, a coastal holiday town south of Thessaloniki.
Updated
Good afternoon. I’m Angus Thomson, taking over from Jakub Krupa.
Over in France, temperatures are nearing 40C in large parts of the country.
It is currently 39C in Lyon, Nantes, Toulouse and Le Mans.
Paris is only a shade cooler at 37C.
French broadcaster BFM is reporting temperatures have exceeded 42C in two towns in western France.
France recorded its hottest day on record in June, with temperatures reaching 44C in Pissos, in the country’s south-west.
As we reported earlier (12.35), the current heatwave is now the third longest period of extreme temperatures ever recorded in France.
Temperatures are, however, expected to ease over the weekend, Météo-France said.
Updated
38.1C reported in Kew Gardens, provisionally the hottest day of the year
There it is: the Met Office has just confirmed that it recorded a provisional reading of 38.1C at Kew Gardens, making it the hottest day of the year so far.
It’s the second time we reached 38C this year, it said, with the only other year where this has happened twice in 2022.
It is also the fifth hottest day on record ever, Met Office says.
The previous 2026 record of 38C was recorded on 28 June.
Updated
Massive fire reported in Chalkidiki as gale-force winds fuel blaze
in Athens
As feared (16:05), gale force winds are fuelling a massive fire in Chalkidiki in northern Greece where flames have ripped through homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of holiday makers from beaches.
Officials said 15 boats had removed tourists and locals from the sandy shores of Siviri on the Kassandra peninsular in Chalkidiki as a precautionary measure.
Greek media reported the fire as being out of control with fire fighters, forest commandos and an array of water- dumping aircraft trying to tame the flames.
Blazes, whipped by winds, were also raging in the Peloponnese and other parts of Greece with the civil protection minister Evangelos Tournas describing the weather conditions as “extreme.”
Vast swathes of Greece have been branded high fire risk and ‘red code’ on Friday when the gusts, already exceeding 100 km an hour, are expected to peak.
Afternoon summary
Here is a summary of where we are at 4pm UK time (5pm CEST):
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Charlwood and Pershore have provisionally reached 37.8C as large parts of England face another day of extreme temperatures during the fifth heatwave of the summer (16:34).
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37.0C was also reported in Kew Gardens, west London.
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Earlier today, a rare amber warning for extreme heat has been expanded to cover more of England, including parts in the north west of the country (13:01).
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A former chief scientific adviser to the UK government has warned that the “shattering” heat was only a sign of things to come, with calls to accelerate climate adaptation policies (11:54).
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High temperatures were also reported in France and Spain, amid concerns about the heat’s potential impact on wildfires recently reported in both countries (13:35, 15:52).
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Greece was also on high alert for wildfires amid gale-force winds (16:11).
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Overall, more than 135 million Europeans were expected to experience temperatures of 35C and above today (11:27).
Updated
London swelters during fifth heatwave of the summer - in pictures
UK weather stations reporting temperatures of 37C and above for third time this year
Back in the UK, the Met Office has just confirmed that several weather stations reported temperatures of 37C or above today, including in Kew Gardens in west London.
“Before 2026, the UK had recorded 37C or higher on only six occasions. This year alone, we’ve already reached that mark three times,” it added.
Greece battles gale force winds reigniting fears about wildfires
in Athens
Over in Greece, gale force winds are sweeping the country, putting fire fighting forces on high alert. Gusts of more than 100km an hour have been registered in Athens, across the Aegean, on the southern island of Crete and parts of mainland Greece, according to the national observatory.
Much of the Attica region surrounding the capital was put on high alert as fears of wildfires mounted on the back of the ‘hot, dry, windy’ weather.
As a precaution some of the famous hills of Athens, much loved by tourists, were closed to the public.
The Etesian winds – otherwise known as the meltemia – are a summer trait widely regarded as both a blessing and a curse. While the northerly gusts bring respite, with a noticeable drop in the searing heat, they also play a key role in fuelling forest fires.
Convening in emergency session today, Greece’s civil protection body warned that on Friday when the gale force winds are expected to peak, the threat of wild fires across at least five regions of the country would be at their highest.
As the UK and other parts of western Europe bear the brunt of a fifth heatwave this summer – with the mercury hitting 27C in Edinburgh, the Athens if the north – the contrast with the east continues. Showers are forecast in some parts of Greece in the coming days.
Over in France, professional firefighters’ unions held talks with interior minister Laurent Nuñez today to discuss their needs following recent wildfires across the country.
The unions are growing concerned about insufficient staffing levels and a lack of resources available to them.
Union representatives said they were “very disappointed” with the discussions, and called for “an intensive mobilisation” and a protest in Paris at the end of September, Le Figaro and BFM TV reported.
A union spokesperson said the service “cannot indefinitely compensate for the shortcomings of the system that has long reached its saturation point,” as he called for more resources to be directed to “protect French citizens.”
But interior minister Laurent Nuñez said on social media “the time has now come for action,” as he pledged to “continue the dialogue in a constructive and respectful spirit.”
Nurses fainting in ‘inhumane’ conditions due to extreme heat, union warns
Peter Walker, Tobi Thomas and Aletha Adu
Nurses are collapsing during shifts amid “inhumane and impossible” conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned, as Andy Burnham promised to grapple with “the bigger questions” of climate adaptation.
Amid growing pressure from Labour backbenches to fully acknowledge the urgency of adaptation measures as the climate crisis bites, Burnham said he was for now focusing on the immediate crises caused by an ongoing summer of extreme heat.
Speaking after a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee, Burnham refused to say if the summer had made the case against renewed drilling in the North Sea, which his government is considering.
“It is really important that we deal today with the situation that we are in right now and we focus on making sure that we have the serious incidents under control across the country, and those incidents are under control,” he said.
“The bigger questions obviously will come at the right moment in time,” he added.
An amber warning for heat across large parts of England will come into force again on Thursday morning, with temperatures forecast to reach 36C or potentially higher.
Train passengers on some networks are being warned by rail operators to only travel if the journey is vital, saying services are likely to be disrupted because of the weather.
Ninth day of temperatures above 35C reported in England
The Met Office said that by midday temperatures had reached 36.4C at Charlwood in Surrey, while at Wisley temperatures had hit 35.1C, and a number of other spots were above 34C, including Westonbirt in Gloucestershire and Heathrow, west London, PA reported.
It makes it provisionally the ninth day in 2026 where temperatures are above 35C, the Met Office said, extending this year’s record number of days at or above 35C.
Fifth heatwave of summer hits England - in pictures
Meanwhile, Le Figaro is reporting that with the current heatwave extending into its 17th day, it is now the third longest period of extreme temperatures ever recorded in France.
It’s 38C in Bordeaux and Nantes, 36C in Paris, and 34C in Montpellier at the moment.
The temperatures are only expected to start falling over the weekend, it said.
Amber heat warning expanded into north west England
And a rare amber warning for “extreme heat” has been expanded to cover more of England, as the UK could see the hottest day of the year so far, PA said.
The warning, already covering large part of the country, has been expanded into North West England to cover parts of Cheshire and Greater Manchester, into Gloucestershire and Wiltshire in the south-west and Shropshire and Herefordshire in the west.
Even the athletes taking part in the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham are feeling the heat today…
Temperatures already reaching 30C in parts of England
Met Office has just offered an update on temperatures across the UK, with several stations already reporting temperatures above 30C – and it’s not even 11am.
It’s 30.4C in Wych Cross, 30.3C in Charlwood, 30.2C at Kenly Airfield.
'Shattering' heat this summer is only a sign of things to come, former government scientific adviser warns
Environment editor
Amidst the “shattering” heat in Europe, a UK government former chief scientific adviser has warned of worse to come and how climate actions protect – not damage – economies.
“The heat we are seeing today, and right through this summer, in the UK and across Europe has been shattering. This is the shape of our climate now, and we are still only in the foothills of what is to come,” says Sir David King, now chair of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group.
“And yet we are so often told, by parts of the media and in the softer corridors of debate, that net zero costs too much, that we should talk more about jobs and the economy and less about climate. I am here to say the two cannot be separated. Any plan for growth that does not put climate first, or at the very least on an equal footing, can only undermine the future it claims to protect.
This has to be the moment for brave leadership. More action, not less. Hold the line, do not row back. If not now, then when?”
135 million people in Europe are set to experience temperatures above 35C today
More than 135 million people – particularly in France, Italy, Spain and the UK – are set to experience temperatures over 35C on Thursday as the continent’s latest heatwave intensifies, according to AFP calculations.
Temperatures are set to surpass 30C for nearly three out of five European residents (excluding Turkey), amounting to around 340 million people.
That’s according to an AFP analysis based on German weather service forecasts and 2025 population projections from the Joint Research Centre, with results consistent with the Austrian NGO Klimadashboard.
Drought across Europe as extreme temperatures continue - in pictures
Black Sea resort of Burgas picked to host 2027 Eurovision
In other news, Burgas, a coastal city on the Black Sea, will host next year’s Eurovision song contest, the European Broadcasting Union has announced.
The Bulgarian holiday resort, the most western city on the Black Sea, has been selected for the 71st annual competition that was mired in controversy last year over Israel’s participation.
Five countries, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia, boycotted last year’s competition in protest against the continued war on Gaza.
The EBU announced reforms to the voting rules reducing the number of votes cast by any individual member of the public from 20 to 10 but it wasn’t enough to lure the five countries back.
Last night, it what looked like another move to address continued disquiet over Israel’s participation, the EBU separately announced that countries involved in conflict may not automatically have the right to host the final if their entry won the contest.
Countries at war will not be automatically barred however.
“Under the new rules, winning Eurovision will no longer automatically guarantee the right to host the next edition if an armed conflict, sensitive geopolitical situation or any other circumstance materially affects the security, safety or stability of the winning country or its immediate region,” the EBU said.
With record dry conditions in July and a dry start to August, nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, heaping pressure on water resources for households, agriculture and the environment, PA reported.
And England and Wales have already seen as many wildfires this year as in the whole of 2025.
Some 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the same as last year’s record-breaking total, PA said.
Temperatures in England could reach highs up to 38C, forecasters say
Over in England, the amber warning by the Met Office stretches from London to Sheffield, covering parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire and is in place from 9am to midnight on Thursday, PA reported.
Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said:
“Temperatures [in areas covered by the amber warning] could reach highs of around 36, 37, possibly 38C.
Now when you get these sorts of high temperatures, well that’s when we could see impacts to our infrastructure, our railway lines, our roads, they are not designed for this sort of heat.
And more people are likely to be impacted by how hot it is with regards to their health.
It could be the hottest day of the year so far if we get above 38C, and if we get above 38.5C, well it could be the hottest August day on record, but that’s actually pretty unlikely.”
PA noted that the UK is facing increasingly extreme conditions such as heatwaves, drought and wildfires fuelled by climate change, which is mostly driven by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels for power plants, vehicles, heating and industry.
Romania begins complete shutdown of its nuclear plant as Danube water levels drop further
Romania began the complete shutdown of its only nuclear plant after water levels in the Danube, used to cool the site, fell to a record low, the national nuclear energy company said.
Nuclearelectrica already shut down last month one of the two reactors at the Cernavoda power plant, which usually generates a fifth of the Eastern European country’s total electricity, AFP reported.
The second needed to shut as well “due to the significant and ongoing drop in the water level of the River Danube”, it said in a statement.
This is despite several measures taken to avert a complete shutdown, including blowing up a rock and sinking four barges filled with rocks to divert its flows.
PM Burnham to consider ban on disposable barbecues as wildfires rage in UK
The government will look at banning disposable barbecues as wildfires continue to rage across the UK, Andy Burnham has said.
Disposable barbecues have been the cause of a number of serious fires over the last few years, but campaigners were critical of the prime minister’s failure to link those fires more broadly to the climate crisis.
Disposable barbecues, which can be carried into public areas, present a number of problems: they remain hot, sometimes for hours, after they are used, making them extremely difficult to dispose of safely, and when they cannot be carried away, people are forced to leave them or place them into bins where they carry on smouldering.
Burying the barbecues, as some try to do, will not stop the danger as these trays of charcoal can reach 450C and will carry on burning underground, where they can still ignite fires long after use. On beaches, the buried coals and metal grills are also a hazard for walkers, and in fields for farm animals.
Over the last few years they have been identified as the cause of a number of serious fires including:
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Macclesfield, Cheshire, July 2026: a large woodland fire that was tackled by dozens of firefighters. Cheshire fire and rescue service said a discarded barbecue was the probable cause
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Three separate fires in one day around London, July 2026: in Feltham, 6 hectares of heathland close to houses were damaged. The London fire brigade urged people not to use disposable barbecues and to properly extinguish cigarettes after crews tackled three grass fires.
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The Trossachs, Scotland, May 2025: covered 2 hectares in the Glen Finglas region of the national park. Glen Finglas is the biggest Woodland Trust site in the UK. The barbecue understood to have sparked that fire was found with a burger still on the grill.
Well, that was quick.
Straight off the back of the solar eclipse last night, we’re heading into a solar inferno as extreme heat returns today, with temperatures above 40C in parts of Spain and up to 38C in London and Paris.
You’ll be wishing for an eclipse today.
An amber weather warning for extreme heat is in place across large parts of the UK, while 80 French departments have been placed on an orange heat warning.
Drink lots of water, stay cool and look after your vulnerable family members, kids and pets. And keep reading Europe Live, obviously.
I will bring you all the updates from the UK and across the continent here.
It’s Thursday, 13 August 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
