Western Europe Braces for Fifth Heatwave; UK, France, Germany Issue Extreme Heat Warnings and Drought Alerts

Western Europe is experiencing its fifth heatwave of the summer, with record-breaking June-July temperatures contributing to widespread drought and wildfires. The UK Met Office is considering rare red extreme heat warnings as temperatures are forecast to reach 36C or higher this week, with amber heat-health alerts issued for most of England. Drought has been declared across Wales and half of England. Météo-France warns of temperatures approaching 40C in southeastern France from Tuesday, with 22 departments under Orange vigilance for heat and 57 under Yellow vigilance for heat and/or storms. Germany's Deutscher Wetterdienst maintains heat warnings for southern regions, expecting temperatures up to 36C and strong heat stress throughout the week. Critically low river levels on the Rhine, Danube, and Seine are impacting power production and cargo traffic across the region.