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France 24
France 24
Politics
FRANCE 24

Europe's record-breaking heat sparks wildfires, drought in France, Greece and the UK

This photo shows a wildfire burning trees in Viotia region, west of Athens, on August 2, 2026
This photo shows a wildfire burning trees in Viotia region, west of Athens, on August 2, 2026 © Aris Oikonomou, AFP

Europe's record-breaking hot and dry summer continues to take its toll on France and Greece, where firefighters fought to contain major blazes, while the UK recorded its driest July in nearly two centuries. Europe is Earth’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service.

A record-breaking hot and dry summer tightened its grip on Europe Monday, as water-dropping planes swooped over a major wildfire in Greece, firefighters in France sought to stabilize a blaze in Provence, and much of the UK recorded its driest July in nearly two centuries.

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