Heatwave

France's government says 301 people have drowned since June 19, with a minister warning that heatwaves are pushing people to take dangerous risks in water.

The UK government temporarily banned disposable barbecues and deployed 200 military personnel to help battle wildfires across England and Wales amid an ongoing heatwave and drought.

A major fire swept through Hazelwood Road in Newbridge, Caerphilly county, gutting six bungalows and forcing 20 people to spend the night in a leisure centre with no reported casualties.

Britain's Met Office says summer 2026 is on course to be the hottest since records began, with the average temperature already running 1.88°C above the 30-year norm and only average August conditions needed to surpass last year's record.

Western Europe is experiencing its hottest summer on record in 2026, with temperatures shattering previous highs across France, Spain, Germany and the UK amid intensifying climate change.

An ongoing drought is drying up Hungary's third-largest lake, while dangerously low water levels have forced the country's main power plant to shut down.

Health authorities have issued heat health alerts across England as temperatures are forecast to climb as high as 34°C in some areas, urging the public to take precautions.