Fire weather in the EU has shattered records for severity this year, data from the European Forest Fire Information Service (Effis) reveals, as firefighters race to extinguish blazes across the Mediterranean. From January to the end of July, the hot, dry, and windy conditions - inflamed by carbon pollution - were 43% more severe than the average for the same period over the last two decades. So far, 435,000 hectares (1,075,000 acres) have burned, roughly triple the historical average, from 1,400 fires - more than double the average.

Three firefighters died in Greece on Tuesday, while France and Spain made overnight progress against monster blazes near large cities. In France, a blaze near Bordeaux grew so big it generated a rare thunderstorm that could ignite more fires. A total of 91,000 hectares have burned, breaking the country’s record for a full year - with one month of summer still to go. Sophie Brocas, the prefect of Gironde, called Thursday the “first somewhat optimistic day” since the fires began, as 84,000 more people returned home. In Spain, 207,000 hectares have burned - nearly five times the average - but the situation in Madrid was declared “stable,” though seven housing estates remained off-limits. A new fire near the Portuguese border forced 600 people to evacuate, and temperatures above 35°C (with some regions hitting 40-42°C) are expected.

Wildfires in France and Spain have displaced more than 300,000 people this month, prompting both countries to request EU support in the form of firefighters, fire engines, and water-dropping planes. Ursula von der Leyen thanked firefighters for their “courage and commitment,” adding, “As the fires continue to ravage, European solidarity knows no limit.” Further difficult weeks are expected as fires worsen in Italy and Greece. Greece has had a relatively calm season so far, but Italy and Portugal have near-record numbers of fires. One firefighter died in Italy last week.

Climate breakdown is the obvious culprit, with heatwaves drying out vegetation and turning small fires into raging infernos. A study in Scientific Reports found that since the 1980s, fire numbers had declined, but the trend reversed in 2018. Summer days conducive to strong wildfires have more than doubled since 1981 across parts of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. The scientists say fires are now “fewer, but more intense and larger.” Rapid analyses found western Europe’s June heatwave would have been “virtually impossible” without climate breakdown, and soil dryness is five times more likely than in a climate 1.4°C cooler. The heatwaves have killed at least 10,000 people and cost grain farmers €2bn (£1.7bn). Meanwhile, rural depopulation has left vegetation overgrown, making firefighters’ jobs even harder. Because of course it has.