Europe endures extreme heat, sprawling wildfires and nuclear curtailments as evacuations continue

A heat wave linked to human‑induced climate change is driving widespread wildfires across western Europe, with France seeing the Gironde blaze grow to the size of the Isle of Wight and over 90,000 hectares burned. Evacuations have been ordered in several communities, including more than 500 residents of Luglon in France and the entire population of the German village of Gey. Power utilities have responded to the heat by shutting six reactors at EDF and by curtailing output at nuclear plants in Hungary and Romania because of insufficient cooling water. Water‑use restrictions now affect millions, with a hosepipe ban covering over 27 million people in Britain and 70 percent of France, while hospitals report staff collapsing from heat exhaustion.