Europe's heatwave triggers fires, heatwave system moving southeast.

On Thursday, a severe heatwave continued to engulf Europe, putting pressure on public services and sparking wildfires across the continent. While many countries in the western part of the region have been experiencing scorching heat for weeks, the most severe temperatures are now shifting towards Central and Southeastern Europe, with parts of Austria and Serbia expected to reach temperatures of 36 to 38 degrees Celsius. In Greece, over 200 firefighters are working to control a wildfire that broke out on the island of Crete on Wednesday. Authorities have ordered residents and around 1500 tourists to evacuate. Multiple wildfires have also occurred in the northeastern part of Spain, resulting in two deaths earlier this week. Since the 1980s, climate change has caused Europe to warm at a rate twice as fast as the global average, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves during the summer. This extreme heat threatens the health of millions of people, puts strain on power systems, and disrupts transportation and commercial activities. An analysis by Allianz Insurance Group suggests that the region's economic growth for this year could decrease by 0.5 percentage points due to recent extreme weather events. The insurance company highlights Spain, Greece, and Italy as some of the most severely affected countries, as high temperatures reduce worker productivity and shorten working hours. The report shows that from May to mid-June, both Greece and Italy experienced over 40 days with temperatures at or above 32 degrees Celsius, while Spain exceeded 50 days. France has also been significantly impacted, experiencing its second hottest June on record. As of Thursday, 17 regions in the country remain under yellow alerts for high temperatures, storms, and flooding.