The persistent heat is leading to severe drought in Europe. Weather services in several countries are warning of renewed extreme temperatures - including in Germany.
According to an estimate, the German Raiffeisen Association expects a grain harvest of 40.6 million tons. In 2025 there were 45 million tons of grain.
The extremely low water levels in the rivers are putting increasing strain on the economy. The low water levels require significantly more trips for the same amount of freight. In Hungary and Romania, the operation of nuclear power plants had to be throttled back due to low water levels.
The heat is particularly dangerous for older people, pregnant women and people with previous illnesses. According to the Robert Koch Institute, at least 12,500 people died in Germany alone as a result of the recent heat wave.
France's firefighters go on strike for better conditions
French firefighters are fighting for better conditions in their work. Recently, France was more dependent on the fire brigade than ever before. The emergency services fought the flames with inadequate protective suits and old vehicles. "We are risking our lives and our health - but there are far too few of us and our equipment is inadequate," said the general secretary of the French trade union federation CFDT. Despite their efforts, the government still does not understand how important they are for France. That's why they went on strike this week and demanded improvements from politicians.
There is currently a fire here in Germany
There have also been fires in other regions of Germany in the past few days. Here is an overview of exactly where the fires were in the different federal states:
Baden-Württemberg: In Baden-Württemberg, the fire brigade mainly had to deal with smaller fires at the weekend. Yesterday, more than 100 emergency services extinguished a wildfire near Heilbronn that had also spread into a forest. According to the fire department, almost 10,000 square meters burned at times. In addition, around 600 square meters of forest burned in the urban area of Baden-Baden.
Bavaria: According to the fire department, around 29 hectares burned in Waldaschaff in Lower Franconia. The wildfire spread into the adjacent forest and was fought with 600 emergency services. Emergency services were also deployed near Rechtenbach in Lower Franconia. According to the fire department, the fire spread to around 7,000 square meters.
Saxony: The fire brigade was also in action for days around the Saxon city of Plauen. However, the situation eased significantly after individual embers were extinguished with drones. In the North Saxony district, a forest area of around 4,000 square meters was damaged. According to police, there is evidence of arson.
Rhineland-Palatinate: A large forest and meadow fire occurred near Langscheid, west of Koblenz. An area of around 50 hectares caught fire on Friday. The fire is now under control, but emergency services are still on site to monitor the situation.
Thuringia: In the north of Thuringia in the Eichsfeld district, a forest near Wahlhausen burned. "The fire started on the side of the road, spread through the wind and ultimately covered around 2,500 square meters of forest," the police said.
Residents of Monschau no longer have to leave their homes
There are currently no more evacuation plans for Monschau. As things stand, the city sees no need to order that the approximately 5,000 residents of the Kalterherberg and Mützenich districts have to leave their homes, said a city spokeswoman.
According to the city, the fire front in the Belgian High Fens is less than two kilometers from the German border. At this point in time, however, it is not expected that the fire will spread to German territory, according to the city's website.
In addition, the fire front is currently less of a danger than the health-endangering smoke pollution, said the city spokeswoman. Every citizen of the two districts can therefore decide for themselves to leave his or her house. Anyone who needs support can still contact the city. There is also a contact point at the Bürgercasino Imgenbroich.
Croatia arrests four suspects for suspected arson
Police have arrested four suspects after several forest fires on Croatia's Adriatic coast. They are said to have started fires in the Zadar region, where several fires broke out in olive groves and pine forests on Friday and Saturday.
The suspects were caught around 40 kilometers from Zadar after residents reported “suspicious behavior.” The police are also investigating possible arson in the Omiš region further south.
One person died in a fire there on Friday night and around 40 others were injured. Eight people suffered serious burns. A 34-year-old Bosnian woman is still missing.
Fire brigade in Monschau is scaling back operations
According to the fire department there, the danger situation in Monschau on the Belgian border has eased. “We’re going back,” said operations manager Philipp Krüger that morning. The majority of the approximately 90 emergency services were withdrawn during the night. There are currently only around 20 people on reserve on site.
The fire brigade spokesman said the call for evacuation is also expected to be withdrawn by the city shortly. We will continue to monitor the development of the fire and will respond appropriately in an emergency. Since the night, the fire front has not moved any further towards Monschau.
Forest fire breaks out on the Greek Aegean island of Skyros
A forest fire has broken out on the Greek Aegean island of Skyros. Firefighters battled the massive blaze near the coastal town of Atsitsa throughout the night, public broadcaster ERT reported. The fire broke out on Saturday afternoon. According to the Greek fire department, there were 34 forest fires across the country in the past 24 hours.
According to the island's mayor, Kyriakos Antonopoulos, no settlements are threatened, only individual holiday homes. Nevertheless, the village of Pefkos was evacuated as a precaution. Around 100 firefighters were on site to fight the fire, many of whom were brought to the island by ship. According to ERT, eleven firefighting planes and five helicopters are also in use. However, the extinguishing work was difficult because strong winds swept across the island.
The German Weather Service does not expect rain in Monschau and Hürtgenwald
According to the German Weather Service, the emergency services in the North Rhine-Westphalian cities of Monschau and Hürtgenwald cannot expect rain today. There will be no precipitation, said a weather service meteorologist. The wind there, however, will be weak to moderate, making it quite favorable for further firefighting.
The fire front in Belgium is already more than a kilometer wide
The fire in the High Fens nature reserve in Belgium continues to spread. The fire front stretched over a kilometer on Sunday morning, as the public broadcaster RTBF reported. According to the report, the fire also changed direction several times during the night due to changing winds. The fire front is therefore not yet under control. The emergency services on site hope that reinforcements from abroad and cooler temperatures will help bring the forest fire on the border with Germany under control.
The fire, considered the largest forest fire in Belgium's history, had destroyed around 2,700 hectares of land by Saturday evening, according to local authorities. For comparison: According to the Düren district, around 300 hectares of forest were affected by the fire in the Hürtgenwald in the Eifel, just 20 kilometers from Monschau.
What do you have to do during an evacuation?
In many places, the risk of forest fires is increasing and with it the risk of evacuation. In the Eifel, several people have already had to leave their homes. The fire department, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and the Maltese give tips on how to behave when evacuating from your own home:
Pack a bag with clothing, hygiene products, necessary medication and important documents such as ID and health insurance card.
Secure your home by closing doors and windows, leaving shutters open and turning off lights and candles.
Electrical and gas appliances should be switched off and taps turned off.
Take your pets with you if possible. If this is not possible, provide sufficient food and water.
Do not turn off gas, water and electricity.
Follow the instructions of the emergency services and the local emergency management.
Pay attention to announcements from police and fire departments and possibly sirens.
Use warning apps like Nina or Katwarn: These provide information about which streets need to be evacuated and by when this area needs to be left. You can also use these channels to find out where emergency shelters and care centers have been set up.
Monschau recommends residents temporarily leave their homes
The city of Monschau has recommended residents of several districts to temporarily leave their homes due to the approaching forest fire and possible health-damaging smoke pollution. Plattevenn, Leyloch and parts of Kalterherberg west of the Messeweg are affected.
Residents should leave their homes by 10 a.m. and, if possible, stay with relatives or friends. The city is setting up a contact point for people without accommodation. The recommendation initially applies until 6 p.m.
The reason is a large forest fire in the Belgian High Fens. According to the city, the fire front was only around three kilometers from the German border that night. Significant smoke pollution and smoke precipitation are expected from the morning onwards.
SPD health expert calls for investment in heat protection
According to SPD health politician Christos Pantazis, the state must invest substantially in heat protection. "Heat protection is also a question of social justice: heat affects everyone, but it doesn't affect everyone equally," Pantazis told the AFP news agency. “Anyone who is old, sick, in need of care or dependent on support is often unable to adequately protect themselves,” he said. That's why it's the state's job to take precautions before "heat turns into a health crisis," said Pantazis.
Pantazis sees the federal government as having a duty above all. The states and municipalities could not make the necessary investments alone. Whether a nursing home is sufficiently protected from heat should not depend on the financial strength of a municipality, said the health policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group.
Monschau is preparing to evacuate further districts
Due to the spread of the large forest fire from Belgium towards Germany, the North Rhine-Westphalian city of Monschau is calling on other districts to prepare for an evacuation. The city announced on its website that night that people in the districts of Kalterherberg and Mützenich were affected. The fire front in the High Fens is now only about three kilometers from the German border.
As a precautionary measure, extinguishing measures are being prepared so that in the event of a fire crossing into German territory, extinguishing work can begin immediately, it said. Ultimately, however, the fire brigade did not expect the flames to spread to German territory any time soon. “We are definitely continuing to keep an eye on the situation,” said Philipp Krüger, operations manager of the Monschau fire department, to the dpa news agency. "We will constantly monitor the operational situation, reassess it and, if necessary, bring in units."
The emergency services had previously watered fields near the German-Belgian border in order to gain a head start before the fire. The Technical Relief Agency supported the fire department.
In the evening, Monschau had already asked the residents of several settlements to prepare for a possible evacuation. The city announced on Facebook and Instagram that people in Ruitzhof, Leyloch, Vennhof, Haus Sonnentau, Plattevenn and Geisberg were affected.
Residents in Hürtgenwald are allowed to return to their homes
The residents of the Gey district are allowed to return to their homes in Hürtgenwald. The Düren district decided this. 1,800 people had to leave the area on Friday night because of the forest fire. The flames came up to 250 meters close to the properties.
After his visit to the rescue and emergency services, Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) had already spoken of progress in containing the flames. However, a thunderstorm and possible strong winds could have fanned the flames again. The district administrator therefore waited to make a decision about the residents' return.
Clouds of smoke move into Rhineland-Palatinate and interrupt the fair
The forest fires in Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia are causing disruption as far away as Rhineland-Palatinate. The Trier police headquarters said that the smell of fire and, above all, the clouds of smoke were particularly noticeable in the southern Eifel and the Moselle, and there was sometimes ash in the air.
A fair in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district had to be interrupted for this reason, said a police spokesman. Those responsible for the Säubrennerkrimes, one of the largest regional festivals, kept an eye on the development of the situation in order to start again as soon as possible.
The smoke moves to Traben-Trarbach.
