A record-breaking heatwave and prolonged drought conditions have intensified wildfires and triggered energy concerns across Europe, stretching from southern Greece to western France and further east along the Danube River.

In Greece, wildfires near Athens expanded unexpectedly as strong winds returned late Tuesday, pushing flames into mountain communities, damaging farms and homes, and prompting highway closures. More than 1,000 residents were evacuated from areas west of the capital, including the seaside resort of Porto Germeno. Among the evacuees, over 250 were rescued by boat from coastal locations. The fire had previously led to a fatal helicopter collision that killed two firefighting crew members. Authorities blamed a faulty power line from a wind farm for igniting the blaze, resulting in the arrest of two contractors on charges of negligent arson. Fire services warned that the region around Athens remains at high risk amid forecasts for rising temperatures throughout the week.

Meanwhile, in France, firefighters continued to contain the country's largest wildfire on record, which burned approximately 162 square miles in the southwest. This fire prompted the evacuation of more than 224,000 people, marking the largest civilian evacuation outside of wartime in French history. Some residents of the Cap Ferret peninsula and Le Porge—the hardest hit municipality where 183 homes were destroyed—were permitted to return home, although campsites remain closed. In southern France's Provence region, another wildfire covering about seven square miles remained uncontained, with around 1,500 firefighters and helicopters working to reinforce firebreaks as stronger winds were expected.

The European Forest Fire Information System indicated that wildfire risk remains elevated across various parts of the continent through at least Thursday.

Further north, authorities in the Netherlands reported firefighting efforts against a significant forest fire in the southern province of Limburg.

Compounding the crisis, record-low water levels along the Danube River have raised alarms across Hungary, Romania, and neighboring countries about potential energy shortages. The river's water depth in Budapest dropped to approximately four inches—far below the previous record low of 13 inches—due to ongoing drought and heatwaves, with no substantial rainfall forecast. The low water levels have forced Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant, the country's only nuclear facility, to reduce output drastically from its typical 2,000 megawatts to just 240 megawatts as its water cooling capacity diminishes. This marks the first time in its 44-year history that the plant is close to a full shutdown.

In Romania, military forces have employed explosives to clear rock near the Danube’s Bala canal to redirect water toward the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, which has already shut down one of its reactor units as a precaution.

Governments across the region are urging citizens to conserve electricity and water amid the combined pressures of heat, drought, and ongoing firefighting operations.