Heat and fires disrupt Southern Europe holidays

A heatwave and wildfires across southern Europe disrupt holidays, threaten health and push travelers to rethink where to vacation.

Southern Europe Bakes as Fires Rage and Tourists Seek Cooler Climes

A second heatwave and a string of wildfires have hit southern Europe this summer. In Croatia, Spain, Italy and Portugal, beaches, trails and city suburbs face smoke, closures, and evacuations as firefighters battle blazes and tourists adjust plans.
Across the EU, 400,000 hectares have burned in the first seven months of 2025, well above the long-term average. Scientists warn that extreme fire weather will persist in the coming days, with particularly severe conditions in southern Europe and high anomalies in parts of the Nordics.
The season has already shifted travel patterns, with some holidaymakers seeking cooler destinations farther north. Economies built on summer tourism face higher costs for emergency services, insurance, and infrastructure, prompting debate over who should pay for resilience. Even Nordic regions experienced heat this month, underscoring climate extremes as a continental challenge.

This episode shows how climate change is reshaping everyday life in Europe. It tests the resilience of tourism economies that rely on predictable summers and stable travel patterns. It highlights political and budget pressures on governments to fund preparedness and response, often with costs borne by travelers and taxpayers alike.
Looking ahead, policymakers face hard choices about funding adaptation, public health safeguards, and cross-border cooperation. The incident demonstrates that climate risk is not a niche environmental issue but a cost center for national budgets and local communities, with political implications for upcoming elections and budgets.

Highlights

The climate story keeps unfolding across Europe.