Record European heatwave and severe drought trigger evacuations and power curbs

Western Europe has endured its warmest June and July on record, amid global ocean surface temperatures reaching an unprecedented 20.96 degrees Celsius. The persistent heat and drought have disrupted infrastructure and daily life across multiple regions.

In western Germany, authorities evacuated over 2,000 residents from Hürtgenwald in North Rhine-Westphalia after a wildfire approached within 200 metres of homes. Meanwhile, receding riverbeds across Central and Eastern Europe have exposed historical relics, including mammoth fossils and wartime wreckage, while severely limiting inland shipping. Low water levels forced nuclear facilities in Romania and Hungary to halt or reduce operations, prompting the Romanian military to blast Danube rock formations to channel cooling water. Economic projections indicate energy shortages and transport snags could inflict up to two billion euros in damages during the third quarter.

Sources: Diário de Notícias (DN), Expresso, Expresso das Ilhas, Jornal Económico, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)