Ukrainian firefighters aiding in the fight against France's ongoing wildfires work to put out smoldering vegetation near the village of Le Temple, southwestern France, August 3, 2026. (Photo: VCG)

A wave of extreme weather events is sweeping across Europe and parts of the United States, with devastating wildfires, record-breaking drought and soaring temperatures disrupting lives, ecosystems and transportation.

In southwestern France, Ukrainian firefighters joined operations on Monday to contain a wildfire that has ravaged the Gironde region since July 22, incinerating about 42,000 hectares of land. The unprecedented deployment saw 70 firefighters arrive on Sunday in a convoy of 15 vehicles, including 10 fire engines, to support French crews west of Bordeaux.

They worked alongside teams from multiple countries to extinguish smoldering hotspots threatening unburned forest in Le Temple, west of Bordeaux.

An old eel barge shipwreck exposed in the Rhine River due to low water levels, a heatwave and prolonged drought near Neuss, Germany, August 3, 2026. (Photo: VCG)

Meanwhile, Europe's prolonged drought is disrupting the River Rhine. Water levels at the Kaub measuring point in Germany dropped to 24 centimeters on Monday, the lowest since records began in 1880, threatening the movement of coal, fuel and industrial goods along the crucial transport artery.

The heat and drought have also hit the UK. July 2026 was the driest and sunniest month on record in England and Wales, the Met Office said on Monday. England recorded only 6.5 millimeters of rain, 10% of its usual average, while Wales had 9.3 millimeters.

In southern England, July was the driest month since measurements were first taken in 1836, with just 1.9 millimeters of rain – or 3% of the average. London and its suburbs are one of 19 English regions to have had no more than 1 millimeter of rainfall last month.

An aerial view of a dry agricultural field in St Helens, England, August 3, 2026. (Photo: VCG)

Farming yields, wildlife and water supplies have been hit. Parts of England and Wales have imposed hosepipe bans, while officials have warned of severe consequences for biodiversity.

Public health is also under pressure. Record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to an estimated 2,877 excess deaths in England, the UK Health Security Agency said last week.

Beyond Europe, wildfires are also intensifying in the US. In Utah, a wildfire sparked by lightning, the Widemouth 2 blaze, was first detected on July 27 and expanded to about 283 square kilometers.

The fire remained completely uncontained on Monday, with more than 1,000 homes under evacuation orders in parts of Fillmore. Federal firefighting assistance was approved on Sunday.