Europe’s Heatwave Hell: We’re Being Cooked Alive

By: Akinde Semiu Oluwaseun

Europe’s not having it. Flames lick cities and countrysides alike. France, Spain, Albania, Portugal, Greece—they’re all in this. Temperatures are spiking over 100°F. It’s wild. Wildfires? Not new here. But now. The climate crisis is turning up the heat, making everything drier, more dangerous.

Imagine this: in less than two decades, we’re now burning nearly 2.4 million acres—double the normal pace for this time of year. Spain’s in chaos. Almost a thousand firefighters are battling blazes across the country. In Tres Cantos, near Madrid, a massive fire tore through 2,500 acres, claiming a life. And in Tarifa? About 2,000 people, tourists too, had to scramble away as flames danced along the beaches. Even celebrity chef José Andrés showed us the fierce truth through his photos.

Elsewhere, temperatures are predicted to top 104°F. The Balkans? They’re fighting back too—fires in Albania near the famed “Blue Eye” and smoky skies over Podgorica in Montenegro make the list. Croatia’s putting out flames near Split.

Europe, the fastest warming continent, is now a crucible. Each scorching day tells a story of relentless heat and human vulnerability. And as the climate crisis worsens, these wildfires? They’re only going to get more intense.