Europe's scorched landscapes seen from space after summer heatwaves
Satellite images examined by BBC Verify reveal the widespread impact of this summer's extreme heatwaves and drought on western Europe. Since May, successive heatwaves have caused visible changes to the landscape, including shrunken glaciers, areas scorched by wildfires, arid fields, and significantly lower river levels.

Briefing Summary
AI-generatedSatellite images examined by BBC Verify reveal the widespread impact of this summer's extreme heatwaves and drought on western Europe. Since May, successive heatwaves have caused visible changes to the landscape, including shrunken glaciers, areas scorched by wildfires, arid fields, and significantly lower river levels. The EU's Copernicus climate monitoring service confirmed that the June-to-July period was the hottest on record for western Europe. While persistent high-pressure systems were the immediate cause of the heatwaves, climate change, largely driven by fossil fuel burning, has increased the likelihood and intensity of such hot spells over decades.
Article analysis
Model · rule-basedKey claims
5 extractedClimate change, primarily from burning fossil fuels, has increased average temperatures and made heatwaves more likely and intense.
Persistent high-pressure weather systems caused the heatwaves by bringing clear skies and allowing temperatures to build.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June-to-July period on record.
The Palace of Versailles appears as an island of trees surrounded by brown fields in satellite images.
Satellite images show the impact of summer heatwaves on western Europe, including shrunken glaciers, scorched areas, arid fields, and lower river levels.