• Wildfires rage in Turkey's Izmir and France's Aude, causing mass evacuations.
• A record 84 of France's departments are under heatwave alerts this week.
• Spain is experiencing its hottest June on record, with temperatures exceeding 42°C.
• Health authorities issue alerts across multiple European countries amid extreme temperatures.
• Experts warn of rising heat-related health risks due to climate change.

Firefighters are battling significant wildfires in Turkey and France as an early summer heatwave grips Europe. In Turkey’s western province of Izmir, wildfires have persisted for a second day, driven by strong winds, prompting the evacuation of more than 50,000 people from multiple regions, according to the AFAD emergency management authority and Dawn. In France, wildfires erupted in the Aude department, where temperatures soared above 40°C, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and an abbey, according to Le Monde and Reuters.

The heatwave has prompted health alerts across multiple countries including France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Germany, and even parts of the usually cooler Netherlands. Samantha Burgess of the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service noted that temperatures are 5-10 degrees Celsius higher than typical for this time of year, with warnings issued for extreme heat conditions that are normally anticipated in July and August, as reported by South China Morning Post and Dawn.

As the heatwave continues, Spain is on track to experience its hottest June on record, with temperatures in Seville expected to reach as high as 43°C. The national meteorological service AEMET reported that intense heat will persist across much of Spain until Thursday, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post. In Italy, heatwave red alerts have been issued for 16 cities, including Rome and Milan, as temperatures are predicted to soar to 41°C in Florence.

Health experts are particularly concerned about vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and outdoor laborers, as extreme heat contributes to rising health risks, including heat strokes and dehydration. Global warming has led to increased occurrences of such extreme weather events, emphasizing the ongoing impact of climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel usage, as highlighted by Le Monde, Reuters, and South China Morning Post.