Southern Europe: Heightened risk of travel disruption across the region during wildfire season through end of September

Wildfires are likely to cause sporadic, localized disruptions to transport and business operations in rural areas of southern Europe, including southern France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey, through at least the end of September. Record temperatures have been witnessed in much of the region in recent summers and have resulted in heightened levels of wildfire activity. Forecast models suggest that 2024 will generally be another hot and dry summer across southern Europe, with long-term forecasts indicating above-average temperatures and near-normal or slightly below-normal precipitation levels expected over the coming months.

Wildfires are a typical feature of the southern European summer, particularly after long dry spells or during extreme temperatures, and can lead to evacuations, road closures, and ground transport diversions. Disruption to arterial roads is possible. While the emergency services are typically able to contain such fires and implement effective route diversions, authorities could declare local states of emergency to facilitate the emergency response to severe incidents.

Smoke from wildfires can spread large distances due to prevailing wind conditions and impact areas far from the wildfire. Wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees, plants, and possibly building materials. Such smoke can hurt eyes, irritate the respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. Smoke may also worsen symptoms for people who have pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as respiratory allergies, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Heavy smoke can impede visibility, producing hazardous driving conditions on some roads and could prompt short-notice flight disruptions if wildfires occur near airports. Railways can also experience occasional cancellation of services and long delays.