https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The climate crisis is hitting Switzerland particularly hard, not least through its rapidly melting glaciers. Why is the country warming faster than most others on earth? https://www.thelocal.com/20251024/why-is-switzerland-warming-faster-than-most-countries-in-the-world Fri, 24 Oct 2025 14:58:59 +0200 why-is-switzerland-warming-faster-than-most-countries-in-the-world Spain's Mediterranean holiday islands of Ibiza and Formentera emerged relatively unscathed from torrential rainfall on Tuesday that triggered floods and prompted the closure of beaches and schools. https://www.thelocal.com/20251001/in-pics-beaches-shut-on-spains-ibiza-as-downpours-spark-floods Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:21:02 +0200 in-pics-beaches-shut-on-spains-ibiza-as-downpours-spark-floods This year's punishing back-to-back heatwaves and ferocious wildfires in France were a "taste of what's to come", as climate change pushed summer temperatures to near record highs, the country's environment minister warned on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20250902/extreme-summer-heat-of-2025-is-turning-point-says-french-minister Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:15:56 +0200 extreme-summer-heat-of-2025-is-turning-point-says-french-minister Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has slammed the fact that budget flights between destinations in Europe are still often significantly cheaper than travelling by train. https://www.thelocal.com/20250822/unfair-budget-flights-in-europe-up-to-26-times-cheaper-than-train-routes Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:32:46 +0200 unfair-budget-flights-in-europe-up-to-26-times-cheaper-than-train-routes Wildfires have so far ravaged more than one million hectares of land in European Union countries this year, a record since recording began in 2006, according to AFP analysis of official data. https://www.thelocal.com/20250822/record-eu-wildfires-burnt-more-than-1mn-hectares-in-2025 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:56:46 +0200 record-eu-wildfires-burnt-more-than-1mn-hectares-in-2025 Harvesting has begun at vineyards across France, an unusually early start to the grape-picking season linked to warming temperatures and early summer heatwaves. https://www.thelocal.com/20250820/french-vineyards-start-abnormally-early-harvest-after-heatwaves Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:10:35 +0200 french-vineyards-start-abnormally-early-harvest-after-heatwaves From strange orange-tinted clouds to spectacular sunsets, drifting smoke from Spanish and Portuguese wildfires are the cause of bizarre skies in south-west and western France, according to Météo France. https://www.thelocal.com/20250818/bizarre-skies-and-sunsets-in-france-due-to-smoke-from-spanish-wildfires Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:26:10 +0200 bizarre-skies-and-sunsets-in-france-due-to-smoke-from-spanish-wildfires As France sizzles under what weather forecasters have described as "exceptional" temperatures, French people have been speaking out about the heat, describing it as a 'nightmare', 'hell' and 'not normal'. https://www.thelocal.com/20250812/not-normal-a-nightmare-french-react-to-searing-heatwave Tue, 12 Aug 2025 16:45:16 +0200 not-normal-a-nightmare-french-react-to-searing-heatwave One woman has died, thousands were evacuated and at least 13 injured in a massive wildfire in southern France - here's the latest on the massive wildfire, which continues to burn despite being declared under control. https://www.thelocal.com/20250806/evacuation-road-closures-and-injuries-latest-on-the-fatal-wildfire-in-southern-france Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:36:27 +0200 evacuation-road-closures-and-injuries-latest-on-the-fatal-wildfire-in-southern-france Summers in France have always been hot, especially in the south, so do the latest wave of extreme weather warnings really mark a rise in temperatures? Or just a change in weather forecasting techniques and media attention? https://www.thelocal.com/20250715/are-summers-in-france-really-getting-hotter Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:47:44 +0200 are-summers-in-france-really-getting-hotter June's heatwave has caused French Alps snow and glaciers to melt faster, causing water shortages at mountain shelters just before the summer tourist hiking season gets into full swing. https://www.thelocal.com/20250716/water-shortages-in-french-alps-hit-mountain-lodges-and-hiking-season Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:09:20 +0200 water-shortages-in-french-alps-hit-mountain-lodges-and-hiking-season Two huge wildfires on Tuesday saw people evacuated in France's second-largest city while an airport, train line and several motorways were closed - so is France prepared to deal with its increasingly severe summer fires? https://www.thelocal.com/20250709/is-france-ready-for-a-summer-of-increasingly-severe-wildfires Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:30:52 +0200 is-france-ready-for-a-summer-of-increasingly-severe-wildfires Human-caused climate change made recent European heatwaves up to 4C hotter in many cities, pushing temperatures into deadly territory for thousands of vulnerable people, scientists have said. https://www.thelocal.com/20250709/climate-change-made-european-heatwave-up-to-4c-hotter-study Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:03:43 +0200 climate-change-made-european-heatwave-up-to-4c-hotter-study France's most recent heatwave brought with it a fierce debate on air conditioning - which much of the country remains deeply resistant to. Some argue that warming temperatures make widespread AC inevitable, but The Local's editor Emma Pearson explains why she thinks the French are right to resist. https://www.thelocal.com/20250707/opinion-the-french-are-right-to-shun-air-conditioning-even-during-heatwaves Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:31:35 +0200 opinion-the-french-are-right-to-shun-air-conditioning-even-during-heatwaves The snow and ice accumulated last winter by Switzerland's glaciers has already melted away, a monitoring service said, with Friday marking the alarming second-earliest arrival on record of the tipping point known as glacier loss day. https://www.thelocal.com/20250704/help-us-melting-swiss-glaciers-hit-annual-tipping-point-weeks-early Fri, 04 Jul 2025 17:14:39 +0200 help-us-melting-swiss-glaciers-hit-annual-tipping-point-weeks-early As France swelters under an early summer heatwave, a fiery battle has broken out between politicians over the use of air conditioning. https://www.thelocal.com/20250702/french-politicians-embroiled-in-fiery-debate-over-air-conditioning Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:23:14 +0200 french-politicians-embroiled-in-fiery-debate-over-air-conditioning In other parts of the world, 25C (77F) is an average summer’s day, so why do Swedes feel the heat more, and what can be done to mitigate the effect of heatwaves in the future? https://www.thelocal.com/20240626/why-are-temperatures-of-25c-considered-a-heatwave-in-sweden Wed, 26 Jun 2024 17:07:50 +0200 why-are-temperatures-of-25c-considered-a-heatwave-in-sweden A blackout that struck the heart of Paris on Monday was caused by recent high temperatures, says the power grid operator, renewing fears of whether the capital's infrastructure can cope with increasingly intense heatwaves. https://www.thelocal.com/20250623/paris-blackout-caused-by-heatwave-says-network-operator Mon, 23 Jun 2025 17:14:38 +0200 paris-blackout-caused-by-heatwave-says-network-operator Europe has thousands of incredible swimming spots around its beaches, lakes and rivers, but which countries have the cleanest and dirtiest waters? https://www.thelocal.com/20250621/revealed-where-in-europe-has-the-cleanest-and-dirtiest-swimming-spots Sat, 21 Jun 2025 11:12:22 +0200 revealed-where-in-europe-has-the-cleanest-and-dirtiest-swimming-spots Southern Europe is home to most of the continent's iconic summer vacation destinations. But as temperatures rise, some of those spots are getting too hot. Here are some cooler alternatives you can reach from Germany. https://www.thelocal.com/20240730/five-coolcation-spots-you-can-reach-by-train-from-germany Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:55:52 +0200 five-coolcation-spots-you-can-reach-by-train-from-germany