Europe's scorched landscapes seen from space after summer heatwaves

The impact of this summer's extreme temperatures on western Europe can now be seen from space after successive heatwaves since May. Satellite images examined by BBC Verify show shrunken glaciers, scorched areas left by wildfires, green fields turned arid, and lower river levels. The EU's climate monitoring service, Copernicus, has confirmed that western Europe experienced its hottest June-to-July period on record. The immediate cause of the heatwaves has been persistent high-pressure weather systems bringing clear, sunny skies and allowing temperatures to build. However, climate change, mainly due to fossil fuel burning, has raised average temperatures for decades, making hot spells more likely and intense. Rivers run drier: The Danube, Europe's second-longest river, has dropped to its lowest levels in 30 years in several countries. This has led to unusual discoveries, such as the bones of a mammoth in Bulgaria and a sunken WW2 warship in Serbia. Nuclear power stations in Hungary and Romania have been forced to shut down or run at reduced capacity due to river water shortages for cooling. On the Rhine, cargo vessels have been stranded, and river cruises cancelled. Retreating glaciers in the Alps: Even snow-capped peaks have not escaped the heat. Ongoing measurements suggest this summer could be one of the worst ever recorded for melting Alpine glaciers. After a mild winter, glaciers had less snow cover than usual by April, and an early heatwave accelerated melting. Satellite imagery shows Rhône Glacier in Switzerland has retreated by 50m (160ft) or more since the same time last year. Dr Lander van Tricht, a glaciologist, notes climate change has led to less snow in winter and more melt in summer, with dire consequences if this trend continues. Wildfires turn landscapes brown: More than 90,000 hectares (900 sq km) have burned in France, the worst year on record. The largest fire in Gironde region, near Bordeaux, burned about 42,000 hectares—equivalent to the Isle of Wight. Extreme wildfires are becoming more frequent due to climate change, with higher temperatures drying vegetation and soils faster. Satellite imagery shows a striking increase in browning across western France, with NDVI readings below a five-year benchmark (2021–2025) across 70% of France. The UK and western Germany also showed similar stress levels. Prof Andrew Challinor warns this indicates widespread water stress, threatening agriculture and food production. Soil moisture in worst-affected areas is lower than on 98% of comparable dates historically. Even if rain returns, some agricultural damage may already be irreversible.