Europe’s heatwave story did not end when the record-breaking June heat broke. It has kept returning in pulses, and by 29 July the region is heading into a fourth heatwave of the summer with two major wildfires still active in Spain and France.
What’s Actually Happening Right Now
Spain and France are in the middle of one of Europe’s biggest wildfire evacuation operations on record, with a fresh heatwave now arriving on top of it. France’s fourth heatwave of the summer began around 29 July, with Spain following a day later and temperatures forecast to reach 40 to 45°C in the hardest-hit regions.
- Spain: a wildfire in Ávila province, west of Madrid, has become the country’s largest on record at roughly 500 to 800 square kilometres, with fires across Madrid, Toledo and Ávila forcing well over 100,000 evacuations since late July.
- France: the Gironde fire near Bordeaux has burned around 420 square kilometres and is described by authorities as “stabilised, not fixed,” with more than 250,000 people evacuated and 93 firefighters injured; a separate fire is also burning in the Var region.
- Italy, Greece and the southern Balkans: after running several degrees above normal through mid-to-late July, these areas saw a brief cooldown around 24 to 25 July before renewed heat arrives with the fourth wave.
- Western Balkans (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, North Macedonia): the region swung from heatwave to severe hailstorms and tornado-strength winds in late July, and Serbia’s stretch of the Danube fell to its lowest level since 1946.
- United Kingdom: the driest spell since the mid-1990s has continued, with water companies still restricting outdoor use for millions of customers.
The EU’s civil protection mechanism has called this one of the biggest cross-border wildfire evacuation operations Europe has seen, deploying aircraft and firefighters from more than a dozen countries to Spain and France.
How We Got Here: Four Heatwaves, Not One
This summer’s heat has now arrived in four distinct waves rather than one continuous event, and each one has broken differently. Treating it as a single heatwave with a single end date is exactly why the original early-July forecast window came and went without the story actually being over.
| Heatwave | Dates | Where It Peaked | How It Ended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave 1 | 22 to 27 May | UK, Ireland, Portugal | Atlantic front brought cooler air by early June |
| Wave 2 (the record-breaker) | 17 June to 1 July | Spain, France, Germany, UK — national records fell in several countries | Atlantic low pressure swept west to east by 1 July |
| Wave 3 | 4 to roughly 23 July | Iberia and France, back into the low-to-mid 40s°C; deadly Bédar wildfire (9 to 10 July) and the Guadalajara fire, contained by 23 July | Eased briefly into a cooler, unsettled pattern in the Balkans, Italy and Greece around 24 to 25 July |
| Wave 4 (current) | From around 29 July, ongoing | France first, then Spain from 30 July; up to 40-45°C forecast, on top of the still-active Gironde and Ávila wildfires | No clear end yet — forecasters expect further heat pulses into August |
The pattern since mid-July has been more erratic than any of the four waves on their own, mixing lingering heat and major wildfires with the kind of severe storms and hail more typical of a changeable autumn.
So, When Will It Actually End?
There is no single end date left to give. A fourth heatwave has arrived exactly as forecasters expected, and the hot, dry pattern is set to keep reasserting itself in pulses through August rather than switch off for good.
Long-range outlooks from Copernicus and other forecasting bodies point to high pressure building again over Central, Western and Southern Europe into early August, with daytime temperatures likely to stay above average even as nights gradually cool in places.
- France’s Gironde prefecture has banned public events until 8 August, a sign officials expect dangerous fire conditions to persist at least that long.
- Long-range models point to drought intensifying through the rest of summer as high pressure keeps rebuilding faster than rain systems can break it down.
- The most realistic planning assumption is stop-start heat and wildfire risk into late summer, not one final all-clear.
What’s Driving the Pattern
A near-stationary area of high pressure, the kind of heat dome forecasters have been calling an Omega block, keeps rebuilding over Europe instead of moving on for good. An intensifying El Niño and an unusually warm patch of the North Atlantic are adding to the mix, so the same conditions that produced the June records keep reloading.
- The high pressure traps hot air, blocks rain-bearing systems and lets the sun bake the same ground repeatedly.
- Copernicus and the WMO note Europe is warming at roughly twice the global average, which is why records keep falling within the same summer.
- Each return of the ridge worsens the drought underneath it, which raises wildfire risk the next time heat builds — as the Ávila and Gironde fires show.
Wildfires, Drought and the Human Cost
The human and physical toll has kept climbing with each wave rather than levelling off after June. Spain’s Ávila fire is now the country’s largest wildfire on record, and France’s Gironde fire is the biggest evacuation event the region has faced in years.
- Fires across Spain and France have forced more than 300,000 evacuations combined since late July, with 93 firefighters injured battling the Gironde blaze alone.
- WHO has reported excess deaths climbing into the thousands across Europe since late June, with figures still being finalised country by country.
- Serbia’s stretch of the Danube fell to its lowest level since 1946, a sign of how far the drought has progressed.
- England has had only a small fraction of its normal July rainfall, extending its longest dry spell since the mid-1990s.
Full totals for the whole summer typically take months to confirm through excess-mortality studies, so treat any single running number as provisional.
Practical Advice if You’re Travelling Now
Build flexibility into plans for Spain, France, Italy, Greece and the Balkans rather than assuming the heat is finished. Check Meteoalarm for your specific destination before you travel, since alerts are shifting quickly between heat, wildfire and severe storm warnings country by country.
- Keep accommodation with reliable air conditioning as a priority while booking, especially in Spain and France.
- Avoid rural and forested areas near active fire zones, including inland Spain around Madrid, Toledo and Ávila, plus Gironde and Var in southern France.
- In the Balkans, watch for sudden severe storms and hail as well as returning heat.
- Older travellers, young children and anyone with a health condition should keep the same heat precautions as during the June peak.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Europe’s heatwave ended?
No. Instead of one heatwave ending in early July, Europe has now had four separate waves, with a fourth arriving in France and Spain around 29 to 30 July on top of major ongoing wildfires.
What’s happening in Europe right now?
As of 29 July, Spain and France are battling their largest wildfires on record near Ávila and Gironde, with a new heatwave arriving that could reach 40 to 45°C. Italy, Greece and the Balkans had a brief cooldown in late July before heat returns.
Will there be another heatwave before summer ends?
Most likely yes. The fourth heatwave of the summer is already underway, and long-range forecasts point to renewed high pressure and heat over Western, Central and Southern Europe continuing into August.
Which countries are most affected right now?
Spain and France remain hardest hit, with record-breaking wildfires near Ávila and Gironde and more than 300,000 people evacuated between the two countries. Italy, Greece and the Balkans are also seeing renewed heat after a brief late-July cooldown.
Is it safe to travel to Europe right now?
Travel is generally proceeding as normal, but check official alerts for your specific destination before you go. Avoid rural areas near the active wildfire zones in Spain and France, and keep basic heat precautions in place across the south.
Sources
- Copernicus Climate Change Service — Seasonal Forecasts and Climate Bulletins
- European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations — EU Sends Planes and Firefighters as Wildfires Ravage France and Spain
- Al Jazeera — France and Spain Brace for Heatwave That Could Worsen Raging Wildfires
- NPR — With Wildfires Raging in France and Spain, Fire Crews Race Against Next Heat Wave
- France 24 — Wildfire Scorches Guadalajara Province, Central Spain
- France 24 — France Evacuates Tens of Thousands More as Bordeaux Fires Worsen
- WHO Regional Office for Europe — Extreme Heat: More Deadly Weeks May Still Lie Ahead
- Severe Weather Europe — Heat Dome Returns, Building Into August
- Wikipedia — 2026 France Wildfires
- Wikipedia — 2026 Spain Wildfires
- MeteoAlarm — Early Warnings for Europe
Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.
