States of emergency in Italy and London, fire clouds intensify wildfires: "The most difficult situation" since World War II

Severe heatwaves continue to strike Europe: alongside record-breaking temperatures, many countries are reporting devastating wildfires and heavy strain on infrastructure. Alarming data published by the European Union highlights that Europe remains the continent warming at the fastest rate in the world.

Italy is at the peak of its fourth heatwave this summer, with the Ministry of Health declaring a state of emergency in 25 major cities. Temperatures in large parts of the country have crossed the 40-degree threshold, and in the Terni province in central Italy, 41 degrees were recorded.

Meteorologists point to a combination of an African anticyclone and the warming of the Mediterranean Sea (which has reached 30 degrees) as the primary causes of the situation, warning of "super-tropical nights" where temperatures will not drop below 25 degrees. Due to dry and hot conditions, increased fire readiness has been declared in Sicily and Emilia-Romagna, alongside warnings for heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Giant fires continue to rage

Parallel to the heatwave, the situation in Greece has become particularly tragic after two pilots were killed yesterday in an air accident while working to extinguish fires. The country is struggling with spreading flames, a situation exacerbated by the severe accident involving two firefighting helicopters. According to reports from Greece, the fire spreading about 70 kilometers from Athens is forcing many residents to evacuate and is causing heavy destruction to property.

In France and Spain, tens of thousands of hectares of land have been reported burned, including damage to famous vineyards in the Bordeaux region. Furthermore, the development of a rare and dangerous phenomenon known as a pyrocumulonimbus (fire cloud) was recorded. This type of storm cloud, created by extreme heat, sucks water vapor and ash to high altitudes and produces strong winds and vortices that worsen the fire. The cloud is capable of producing lightning with little rain, which triggers additional fires in the vicinity. Across the continent, over 300,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes, and French President Emmanuel Macron defined the fire event as the most severe emergency situation in the country since World War II.

In the UK, a medium (orange) heat alert was activated in a number of locations, including London, where temperatures are expected to reach up to 33 degrees. Simultaneously, in Hungary, an unprecedented event occurred when the country's only nuclear power plant was forced to cease operations for the first time in four decades, following the drying up of the Danube River and the lack of water to cool the reactors.

As part of the state of emergency, Hungary is calling on households to limit electricity usage due to low water levels in the Danube, leaving the country increasingly dependent on imports from neighboring European Union nations.