Europe heat wave fuels drought, fires and energy fears

A heat wave across Europe has exposed sunken World War II-era wrecks in the Danube River due to low water levels, forced nuclear power plants to reduce output or shut down because of insufficient cooling water, and contributed to wildfires in Greece that resulted in deaths. Water temperatures and levels in major European rivers have dropped significantly, affecting hydroelectric power generation and industrial cooling operations. Greece reported multiple fire incidents in July 2026 that spread across forested regions.

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