4 h. ago Heatwave wildfire hell for UK sees firefighters hit back over lack of resources

Ben Selby, Fire Brigades Union assistant general secretary said services had undergone "14 years of austerity" while wildfires increase as a result of the climate crisis

Events

9 h. ago ‘Extremely worrying’ situation in Spain as 14 major wildfires rage

The 12-day heatwave and southerly winds are worsening the crisis

Events

37 h. ago ‘No country is safe’: deadly Nordic heatwave supercharged by climate crisis, scientists say

Historically cool nations saw hospitals overheating and surge in drownings, wildfires and toxic algal bloomsThe prolonged Nordic heatwave in July was supercharged by the climate crisis and shows “no country is safe from climate change”, scientists say.Norway, Sweden and Finland have historically cool climates but were hit by soaring temperatures, including a record run of 22 days above 30C (86C) in Finland. Sweden endured 10 straight days of “tropical nights”, when temperatures did not fall below 20C (68F). Continue reading...

Events

43 h. ago Brit hotspots are burning: Three are killed as wildfires tear through Greek Islands, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans as heatwaves hell continues

Sunseekers have been fleeing Greece 's Zakynthos and Kefalonia islands 'by the minute' as raging infernos ripped through homes and farmland.

Events

53 h. ago Which areas in London are at most risk of wildfires as fourth heatwave of summer hits this week?

Three wildfires broke out across London this week - which areas are most at risk?

Events

54 h. ago Spain wildfires are ‘clear warning’ of climate emergency, minister says

Environment minister says blazes are proof of country’s vulnerability to global heating as fires burn across EuropeThe heatwave-fuelled wildfires that have killed two people in Spain over recent days, devouring thousands of hectares of land and forcing thousands of people from their homes, are a “clear warning” of the impact of the climate emergency, the country’s environment minister has said.Speaking on Wednesday morning, as firefighters in Spain, Greece and other Mediterranean countries continued to battle dozens of blazes, Sara Aagesen said the 14 wildfires still burning across seven Spanish regions were further proof of the country’s particular vulnerability to global heating. Continue reading...

Events

57 h. ago Tourists evacuated in Greece heatwave and three people die as wildfires spread

Strong winds have helped the spread of the fires in Zante, Kefalonia and Chios.

Events

61 h. ago Temperature records broken as extreme heat grips parts of Europe

Unprecedented temperatures causing difficulties in south-west France, Croatia, Italy and Spain with wildfire destruction across Europe up 87%How dangerous are wildfires and how can we stop them from getting worse?Extreme heat is breaking temperature records across Europe, early measurements suggest, and driving bigger and stronger wildfires.In south-west France, records were broken on Monday in Angoulême, Bergerac, Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion and Saint-Girons. Météo France said the “often remarkable, even unprecedented, maximum temperatures” in the region were 12C above the norm for the last few decades. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago 'Very high' wildfire warning issued by fire chiefs as sizzling heatwave continues

The vast majority of wildfires are started by human behaviour and the SFRS is urging communities to avoid lighting fires and using naked flames while this warning is in place.

Events

3 d. ago Thousands evacuated in Spain as deadly heatwave fans Mediterranean wildfires

Boy, four, dies of heatstroke in Rome as scientists say high temperatures and fires are reminder of climate emergencyThe deadly heatwave fanning wildfires across the Mediterranean region has claimed at least three lives and forced thousands of people from their homes.Firefighters continued to battle blazes on Tuesday and authorities braced for further damage as temperatures in some areas surged well past 40C. In Spain, a Romanian man in his 50s died after suffering 98% burns while trying to rescue horses from a burning stable near Madrid on Monday night. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago FIREBALLS hit Spain as wildfires spark freak 'fire whirls' and reach Madrid, killing one person as Europe's heatwave hell continues

Extreme heat and strong winds in Spain caused 'fire whirls' on Monday night, as a hellish blaze burned several houses and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, killing one person in the capital. 

Events

3 d. ago Thousands evacuated in Spain amid deadly wildfires and new heatwave

Temperatures of 44C predicted as blazes rage across EuropeEurope live – latest updatesAlmost 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in northern, central and southern Spain as wildfires continue to burn amid a heatwave that could bring temperatures of 44C to some parts of the country.The deadly heat across large parts of Europe has created what scientists have called a “molotov cocktail” of climatic conditions that is fuelling vast wildfires. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Boy, 4, dies on family holiday as heatwave sweeps Europe sparking wildfires

The tragic four-year-old boy died from heatstroke after leaving the holiday house his family were staying in

Events

3 d. ago Child, 4, dies on Italy holiday as heatwave sweeps Europe sparking wildfires

The boy, just four, from Romania was on holiday with his parents in Sardinia when he was discovered unconscious in the family car - he suffered fatal brain damage

Events

5 d. ago The Guardian view on climate finance: crumbling under a second Trump presidency | Editorial

Voluntary climate commitments were supposed to be a step towards progress. A change in political climate has revealed their weaknessesEarlier this month, as Nordic countries were hit with an unprecedented heatwave and wildfires in the US began spurting “fire clouds”, Barclays pulled out of the net zero banking alliance. The story may have seemed less alarming than extreme weather, but it has existential implications, as the finance sector quietly surrenders its former climate commitments.The initiative forms part of the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a voluntary network of banks that Mark Carney, formerly the UN’s special envoy on climate action and now Canada’s prime minister, launched in 2021. At the time, the alliance, which encourages banks and asset managers to work towards the goals of the Paris agreement, seemed like an optimistic step in the right direction. Mr Carney described it as a “breakthrough”. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Wildfires close Mount Vesuvius trails while fierce blazes continue in France

French officials says heatwave in southern Europe complicates efforts to contain biggest wildfire since 1949Tourist trails have been closed on Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy as firefighters tackle a huge blaze on the volcano’s slopes, while officials warned of another “challenging day” for those working to contain France’s biggest wildfire since 1949.The wildfire on Mount Vesuvius, close to Naples, broke out a few days ago and by Saturday afternoon had stretched to about 3km (1.9 miles) wide, destroying hundreds of hectares of woodland and killing wild animals. Thick smoke could be seen from Pompeii and Naples. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago ‘I live for a chance to leave Iraq’: how I survived torture and slavery at the hands of Islamic State

A decade on from being freed, a Yazidi woman tells how she endured being abducted by militants when she was aged nineMy childhood living in a village in northern Iraq near the city of Mosul was rich in happiness despite the lack of resources. I was fond of my school and friends and enjoyed a warm family life filled with laughter. That all vanished when Islamic State forces invaded our area.When we heard of their approach [IS took control of large areas of northern Iraq and its second biggest city, Mosul, in 2014], we tried to escape but were surrounded by five IS vehicles. The men were separated and they took my father and one of my cousins and shot them in front of us. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago Sadiq Khan warned building homes on Green Belt will increase risk from heatwaves and wildfires

London mayor accused of ignoring advice of own climate change advisors

Events

4 w. ago Building homes on Green Belt will increase risk from heatwaves and wildfires, experts warn Sadiq Khan

London mayor accused of ignoring advice of own climate change advisors

Events

last month Firefighters have battled more wildfires in London this summer than the whole of 2024

Three grass fires broke out in east London on Monday night

Events