Europe is battling the effects of scorching weather, with June having been the hottest month on record in the 174-year history of temperature monitoring.

Last year, heat waves led to over 61,600 heat-related fatalities across 35 European countries and triggered devastating wildfires. This year, temperatures could exceed Europe's current record of 48.8 Celsius (119.84 Fahrenheit), recorded in Sicily in August 2021.

An assessment by scientists said human-induced climate change has played an "absolutely overwhelming" role in the extreme heat waves that have swept across North America, southern Europe and China this month.

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'Tough days ahead' for Greece

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of tough days ahead as ministers met to discuss a response to wildfires that have destroyed homes and forced the evacuation of thousands of tourists from the island of Rhodes.

Firefighters battled blazes that have raged on the island since Wednesday and more emergency flights were due to fly home holidaymakers. 

Mitsotakis told parliament the next few days would be difficult, with conditions possibly improving after Thursday.

"All of us are standing guard," he said at the start of the cabinet meeting. "I will state the obvious: in the face of what the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean which is a climate change hotspot, there is no magical defense mechanism. If there was we would have implemented it."

In Greece, a prosecutor on Rhodes launched an investigation into the causes of the fires and the preparedness and response of authorities, state broadcaster ERT said. It said about 10 percent of the island's land area had burned.

Officials have said the threat of further fires was high in almost every region of the country.

A wildfire also forced evacuations from the island of Corfu over the weekend. Nearly 2,500 people were offered shelter, including in stadiums, although many returned to their hotels on Monday. Emergency services were also dealing with fires on the island of Evia, east of Athens, and Aigio, southwest of Athens.

A wildfire west of Athens has been burning since July 17. More than 100 houses and businesses have been damaged by this fire and another blaze near Athens that was put out last week. Flames were supported by strong wind and heat waves, several media outlets reported.

Meanwhile, in Croatia, a bushfire near the coastal town of Sibenik quickly spread on July 13, fueled by strong southerly winds. The fire was difficult to control, despite the efforts of 56 firefighters, along with 20 vehicles and three aircraft. The village of Grebastica suffered significant damage, including the destruction of cars and homes.

France's summer drought

And in France, about six small-scale blazes have been recorded in the regions of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Grand Est, Bouches-Du-Rhone and Corsica island. 

In mid-April, the French geological service BRGM said that very low groundwater levels had put France on course for a summer drought worse than the one that it suffered last year, mainly in the southern part of the country.

Fires have also been burning in woods and vegetation in various parts of Calabria, the southernmost part of the Italian mainland, while Palermo's airport reopened on Tuesday after wildfires in Sicily forced its closure for a few hours.

Italy on red alert

Italy has put 16 cities on red alert because of the high temperatures. These include Palermo and Catania, where power and water supply cuts that local officials blamed in part on the heat have been frequent in recent days.

Sicily's civil protection agency said the temperature in some areas in eastern Sicily rose to 47 Celsius (116.6 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, close to the record European high of 48.8 Celsius from two years ago. And properties on the island suffered blackouts because of the heat wave.

Malta has also been suffering from a week-long heat wave that has caused widespread power cuts across the island. State-owned power company Enemalta said near record temperatures of between 40 and 42.7 degrees Celsius made underground distribution cables overheat and fail while electricity demand spiked.

Malta Airport's meteorological office said it expected the heatwave to break by Wednesday morning when a north-westerly wind would bring down the temperature to around 34 degrees.

Portugal asks for help

Meanwhile, Portugal has requested help in the management of wildfires from the European Union civil protection mechanism, Finland's Interior ministry said, adding the country would send 48 rescue workers to help.

Mainland Portugal is facing widespread drought, with some 90 percent of the country affected. The drought expanded during an abnormally hot and dry April, as reported by the meteorology agency IPMA in May.

In central Russia's Urals region, in the small village of Shaidurikha near Yekaterinburg, wildfires spread on July 12 and caused significant damage. One woman died and two people were hospitalized with burns, while 41 houses were burned down as the fire rapidly spread. Dry and windy weather conditions contributed to the fire's intensity. 

Spain's prolonged drought

On the Spanish island of La Palma, a wildfire started on July 15, leading to the evacuation of more than 4,000 people. The fire has been contained, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on July 19, after burning 2,900 hectares of the island, including 200 hectares of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.

Spain has been enduring a prolonged period of drought, with the first four months of 2023 being the driest on record.

And in Switzerland, the police issued evacuation orders on July 17 for several mountain villages due to the spread of a fire on the forested flank of a mountain in Bitsch in the Valais canton near the Italian border. More than 200 people were forced to evacuate. Although the situation was "stable," the fires were still not completely under control on July 22, a local official said according to Swiss media RTS.

Wildfires also started in Turkey's southeastern Hatay and Mersin provinces and Canakkale province in the northwest on July 16, the Turkish General Directorate of Forestry said on its Twitter account.

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