Europe counts cost as rivers run low and wildfires blaze evacuations

Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the ECMWF, said scorching temperatures and persistent droughts reinforced each other to create a hot weather spiral, as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of heat waves.

"Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe; the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily," said Burgess. "This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another."