European Summer Time Tjeerd

Summer is here, and Europe is burning

Published on 21 July 2026
European Summer Time Tjeerd

Summer has only just begun, but the wildfire season is already in full swing. For several weeks now, countries in southern Europe have been hit by devastating wildfires. In Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, all the way to the Balkans, tens of thousands of hectares of forest have already been ravaged.

This autumn, the European Commission will present its European climate change adaptation plan. However, given the scale of the impact of climate change facing the continent, some observers are calling for a shift in public policy, particularly with regard to risk prevention and landscape management.

2026 has seen a marked increase in the severity of wildfires across the European Union. Since the start of the year, the area burnt by fires has been between 40 and 60% higher than the average recorded between 2006 and 2025. Is 2026 set to break records?

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