Images
August 15, 2026 - Extreme Heat and Extreme Fires Across Europe
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A summer filled with multiple waves of extreme heat created conditions ripe for wild land fires across Europe in 2026. By August 13, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image, smoke streaked the skies while temperatures in several European countries hovered near or above record highs.
According to Severe Weather Europe, the fifth major Heat Dome of the season settled over continental Europe in mid-August, driving afternoon temperatures past 40°C (104°F) over a widespread region. The countries suffering the most from severe excessive heat included France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Central Europe, and the Balkan Peninsula. The extreme temperatures were accompanied by low humidity and dry winds, which rapidly depleted soil moisture, desiccated plants, and created exceptionally hazardous fire risk.
According to the European Commission Joint Research Center, as of August 12, the area affected by fires in the European Union reached 567,097 hectares. The report states, “This is below the area recorded by the same date in 2025 (the worst year on record) but exceeds the long-term average of the last 20 years (2006–2025) of 243,189 ha.”
On August 14, data from the European Forest Fires Information System (EFFIS) showed that the countries with the most fires in 2026 were Italy, France, and Spain, with 413 fires, 412 fires, and 347 fires, respectively. Next in line were Portugal (165) and Romania (125). The number of hectares burnt since January 1 were as follows: Spain, 283,988 ha; France, 95,284 ha; Italy, 82,579 ha; Portugal, 52,257 ha; Germany, 30,797 ha; and Romania, 15,089 ha.
In this image, most of the smoke is rising from fires within Spain (located in the southwest section of the image) and from large fires in Italy at the base of the Alps (northeast). Smoke-laden haze hangs over the Mediterranean Sea while the normally green color worn by most of Europe even in high summer has turned yellow and tan due to widespread desiccation of vegetation.
The bright color coating the Bay of Biscay and the North Atlantic in the western portion of the image is primarily the result of “sun glint”. This is an optical phenomenon caused by sunlight reflecting off smooth water directly back to the satellite sensor, resulting in a bright area in the image. The angled line visible near the center of the image marks this as a “mosaic”, which has been created by data collected from two passages of the MODIS sensor as the Terra satellite orbited the Earth.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/13/2026
Resolutions:
1km (1.9 MB), 500m (5 MB), 250m (3.3 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A summer filled with multiple waves of extreme heat created conditions ripe for wild land fires across Europe in 2026. By August 13, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image, smoke streaked the skies while temperatures in several European countries hovered near or above record highs.
According to Severe Weather Europe, the fifth major Heat Dome of the season settled over continental Europe in mid-August, driving afternoon temperatures past 40°C (104°F) over a widespread region. The countries suffering the most from severe excessive heat included France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Central Europe, and the Balkan Peninsula. The extreme temperatures were accompanied by low humidity and dry winds, which rapidly depleted soil moisture, desiccated plants, and created exceptionally hazardous fire risk.
According to the European Commission Joint Research Center, as of August 12, the area affected by fires in the European Union reached 567,097 hectares. The report states, “This is below the area recorded by the same date in 2025 (the worst year on record) but exceeds the long-term average of the last 20 years (2006–2025) of 243,189 ha.”
On August 14, data from the European Forest Fires Information System (EFFIS) showed that the countries with the most fires in 2026 were Italy, France, and Spain, with 413 fires, 412 fires, and 347 fires, respectively. Next in line were Portugal (165) and Romania (125). The number of hectares burnt since January 1 were as follows: Spain, 283,988 ha; France, 95,284 ha; Italy, 82,579 ha; Portugal, 52,257 ha; Germany, 30,797 ha; and Romania, 15,089 ha.
In this image, most of the smoke is rising from fires within Spain (located in the southwest section of the image) and from large fires in Italy at the base of the Alps (northeast). Smoke-laden haze hangs over the Mediterranean Sea while the normally green color worn by most of Europe even in high summer has turned yellow and tan due to widespread desiccation of vegetation.
The bright color coating the Bay of Biscay and the North Atlantic in the western portion of the image is primarily the result of “sun glint”. This is an optical phenomenon caused by sunlight reflecting off smooth water directly back to the satellite sensor, resulting in a bright area in the image. The angled line visible near the center of the image marks this as a “mosaic”, which has been created by data collected from two passages of the MODIS sensor as the Terra satellite orbited the Earth.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/13/2026
Resolutions:
1km (1.9 MB), 500m (5 MB), 250m (3.3 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
