Wildfires continue to rage as Europe swelters under extreme heat

Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average. Firefighters continued battling multiple wildfires across Serbia on Friday, as temperatures continue to soar. In the northeast of the country, firefighters battled a wildfire in a nature reserve, deploying both ground crews and helicopters. Local authorities said the flames had scorched at least 700 hectares of land in the Deliblato Sands special natural reserve, located roughly 50 kilometres east of Belgrade. Meanwhile, near the town of Kraljevo, several blazes also continued to burn, forcing residents of nearby villages to evacuate. Local residents said more than 150 acres of pine wood forest had been destroyed in just a couple of days. "The damage is huge. It's a young pine wood forest, these pines were planted during the '80s," one resident told press agency The Associated Press. On Thursday, another major fire swept through the Ibar valley in central Serbia. Assisted by water-bombing aircraft, firefighters tackled the rough terrain to protect nearby villages. Serbia was not the only country affected. Days of extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celcius, fuelled wildfires across several Balkan countries on Thursday. Europe's extreme summer weather has also taken a toll on the continent's rivers, with parts of the Danube falling to record-low water levels. While it is not unusual for river levels to decrease during the summer months, this year's drop has been unprecedented. In Hungary, the Danube's exceptionally low water levels triggered an energy crisis, forcing the country to shut down its only nuclear power plant, which relies on water from the river for cooling. Last week, Serbia also had to reduce its power generation from hydroelectric plants, with its two biggest plants having been reduced to an output just 20 and 30 percent of their capacities. Southeastern Europe also continues to swelter under extreme heat. In the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, a wildfire broke out in a remote area of Vedriano. Firefighting efforts have been underway since Thursday afternoon. Italy has placed all its major cities under the highest heat alert. In neighbouring France, a major wildfire in the southern Var region is no longer spreading, but firefighters maintain a large presence because of the risk of flare-ups. "It's a fire that can last over long periods of time. In the mornings, for example, it’s about setting up because (fire) risks with winds and rising heat increase in the afternoon," Chief Sergeant Anthony from Marseille Naval Fire Battalion said. The fire, which started on July 20, burnt more than 60 square kilometers, marking the largest blaze recorded in the region in recent decades. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, according to their European State of the Climate 2025 report, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average. It warned heatwaves are expected to become more frequent, more intense and occur later and earlier in the year as the climate continues to warm.