Report: The European spring heatwave and dry climate bring huge wildfire risks.

The sunlight of Nordic spring is usually welcomed, but this year it is full of risks. For countries usually associated with cool weather, the combination of small heat waves and dry climate can lead to wildfire threats, putting energy infrastructure at risk and increasing related carbon emissions. Compared to the average levels from 2006-2024, the average cumulative burned area in countries such as the UK, France, and Germany increased by 140% in 2025. The total carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires in these three countries increased by 84% compared to the previous year. There is unlikely to be relief in the short term, as temperatures in Central and Northwest Europe are expected to be 12 degrees Celsius higher than the 10-year average and with limited rainfall. As an overall indicator of fire risk, the European Forest Fire Information System predicts a Fire Weather Index of 38-50, indicating a very high danger in Germany and Poland for the week of April 28th. As Europe enters the summer, the wildfire risk intensifies, threatening not only carbon emission targets but also critical energy network infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for resilient energy systems in the face of escalating climate risks. This is bad news for the European continent, as Spain and Portugal suffered a catastrophic national blackout due to a power grid collapse this week. Spain's state-owned transmission line operator stated on Tuesday that the outage was likely due to a sudden drop in electricity generation.