Smoking bans and train cancellations as Europe braces for new heatwave

Europe prepares for an upcoming heatwave following a scorching summer that saw record-high temperatures fuel wildfires across the continent. The UK is on high alert this week, with amber health alerts in effect as temperatures near 36°C. Nearly three-quarters of England is officially in drought, with July being the driest month on record.

Firefighters battled blazes in the New Forest National Park and Holme Fen Nature Reserve, with peat fires proving especially challenging to extinguish. France, meanwhile, has 70% of its territory under water-use restrictions, with groundwater levels below-normal as of August 1. Satellite images from the EU's climate change agency Copernicus reveal retreating vegetation in France throughout August over the past three years.

Western Europe saw the hottest June-July on record, 2.79°C above average. Most of France will experience high temperatures this week, peaking over 40°C in the southern Var region. Paris is expected to reach 37°C on Thursday. Smoking bans have been implemented in various areas, with the mayor of Ile d'Yeu prohibiting smoking in public spaces for the entire summer.

Heatwaves have disrupted transport and power generation across the region. In central France, trains will be cancelled during the hottest parts of the day due to insufficient air conditioning. In Italy, all major cities have been under a red alert for days, bringing their surveillance network to the highest warning level. Forest fires led to the evacuation of over 200 people from Lake Garda, and low river levels threaten nuclear-powered electricity generation in Romania.