The heat has set a national temperature record in Austria, fueled wildfires in France and disrupted energy and transportation systems across the continent. https://t.co/HS6EtxmlCt
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 6, 2026
Extreme weather is hitting various parts of the world. Austria just had a record-breaking temperature and other areas are also affected:
Europe heatwave puts all major Italian cities on red alert as Austria sets heat record
6 August 2026
Italy placed all of its major cities under the highest heat alert on Thursday as a blistering heatwave gripped Europe, setting a national temperature record in Austria, fuelling wildfires in France and disrupting energy and transport systems across the continent.
The extreme weather has pushed temperatures above 40C in several countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people.
Across Europe, authorities are grappling with the consequences of extreme heat: health alerts for millions in Italy, record temperatures in Austria, drought-related disruptions to energy and shipping in Central Europe and wildfires stretching from France to the Balkans. …
The most intense temperatures were recorded in Austria, where the mercury reached 41.2C on Wednesday in the village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the Slovak border, according to GeoSphere Austria. It was the highest temperature ever recorded in the country.
Austria is also facing severe drought. Rainfall from 1 January-30 June was 27% below the long-term average nationwide, while some eastern regions received only half their normal precipitation. …
In Hungary, prolonged drought and record-low water levels on the Danube River have severely affected the country’s only nuclear power plant, which relies on river water to cool its reactors.
Operators at the Paks plant have reduced output to about 10% of normal production, prompting the government to introduce emergency conservation measures as a record-breaking heat wave grips the country. …
Germany worries about shrinking rivers
Germany faced growing concerns over the impact of drought on transportation and industry as water levels on the Rhine and other rivers continued to fall.
Transport Minister Steffen Bilger met affected organisations on Thursday and warned that low water levels posed major challenges for inland waterway shipping, industry and the broader logistics chain. …
Balkans battle fires and drought
The heatwave reached its peak across the Balkans on Thursday as temperatures neared 40C and authorities battled drought and wildfires.
In Serbia, firefighters struggled to contain several blazes after days of dry weather. One major fire burned through pine forests west of Belgrade, while another spread near the central town of Kraljevo, where difficult terrain complicated firefighting efforts. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/06/europe-heatwave-puts-all-major-italian-cities-on-red-alert-as-austria-sets-heat-record
August 6, 2026
Later on Thursday, Slovakia recorded another all-time high temperature. The new record set at Dolne Plachtince in the south was 42.2 C (108 F), the Slovak Meteorological Institute said. https://apnews.com/article/italy-europe-heat-wave-temperatures-austria-france-57b6b4c67fd40b24fe578e71edaa519b
Before going further, notice extreme steps related to some of this:
Europe is blowing up riverbeds as an extreme drought wreaks havoc on its economy
The drought in Europe is so severe that it is jeopardizing countries’ economic growth and forcing them to take extreme measures like blowing up riverbeds.
Gripped by a summer of weather extremes, Romania recently shut down its sole working nuclear reactor cooled by the Danube for the first time, with Bucharest even deploying naval forces to carry out underwater detonations to improve water flow.
Images published Monday showed the Romanian navy blasting rocks in controlled explosions in Izvoarele village as part of a push to divert a higher volume of water toward the cooling systems of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant.
Low water levels on the Danube have also threatened to close Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant, which supplies around 40% of the country’s electricity, and forced Serbia to cut hydropower generation.
Why low Rhine levels threaten Germany’s economy
In Germany, the water levels on the Rhine River, a crucial waterway in Europe’s economic heartland, have fallen to their lowest levels in nearly 150 years, posing a risk to the German economy and further disrupting supply chains.
The water level at Kaub, a key choke point for vessels transiting to southern Germany and Switzerland, fell to 24 centimeters on Monday and Tuesday, reflecting its lowest level since records began in 1880, with forecasts of even lower levels toward the end of this week, according to official data compiled by ETH Zurich. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/05/drought-rhine-danube-water-levels-economy.html
The world is changing.
Jesus warned of “troubles” in Mark 13:8. And what we are seeing in Europe surely are troubles.
For reporting about a heatwave in Europe earlier this year, we in the Continuing Church of God were mocked by the anti-Christian Banned by HWA website. But the Apostle Peter warned against such scoffers (2 Peter 3)–and we also put out the following video:
Jesus prophesied that there would be earthquakes in various places, as well as troubles, during the ‘beginning of sorrows’ in Mark 13:8. After a rare ‘earthquake doublet’ in Venezuela and a major quake in Japan, while Europe was experiencing record heat, Dr. Thiel reminded people what Jesus prophesied in a post. An anti-Christian website scoffed and mocked Dr. Thiel’s post, basically by saying such occurrences were normal and that Jesus’ words in Mark 13:8 were not related. The Apostle Peter warned that there would be scoffers in the last days who would assert that things were normal while ignoring prophecies. The prophet Isaiah also warned of those who would tell prophets to not prophesy, but say “smooth things.” The Bible says that God controls the weather, and His prophet Amos wrote that God uses weather matters to encourage repentance. Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel go over these matters and encourage listeners to believe the Bible and not be scoffers.
Here is a link to our video: Prophetic Scoffers and Earthquakes.
Sadly, most now will ignore weather changes and simply believe that weather changes all the time and the changes do not have to do with God or disobeying His laws.
However, the Bible shows that weird, severe, and odd weather patterns are part of the warning messages that God gives.
God controls the weather and sometimes provides extreme weather for correction. Notice the following from the old WCG:
The Bible makes plain who is in control of the weather! “Fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word” (Ps . 148:8 , RAV).
God intervenes in weather to work out his purposes among nations…
Plagues of disastrous weather are a warning to humanity. Weather for the most part operates according to natural laws. Damaging weather patterns sometimes develop. God simply may not choose to intervene to stop them because of nations’ various sins and idolatry.
The Bible reveals God also directly intervenes to cause weather plagues to warn certain nations. “I have smitten you with blasting and mildew . .. yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord” (Amos 4:9). He, in his great purpose, may also allow Satan-the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4)-to have a role in producing calamitous weather, for man’s ultimate learning (see Job, chapter 1). (Schroeder D. CHAOTIC WEATHER Return of the dust bowl? Plain Truth. 1984, pp. 19-20)
The Bible repeatedly warns, especially in the Hebrew scriptures, that God can cause destructive weather:
24 “I am the Lord … 27 Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’; (Isaiah 44:24,27)
15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: 16 “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. … 22 The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. 23 And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. 24 The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28:15-16, 22-24)
As far as heat in Europe and elsewhere goes, in 2019 I posted the following:
Yes, the temperature will one day be even higher than the records being set this Summer. For many more weather scriptures, see the article Weather Blessings and Sorrows. Weather is not as random as most seem to want to believe.
Back in 2009, in a book that accurately laid out what would and would NOT happen in 2012, I mentioned the following was about to happen:
Considering all of the natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, food shortages, and economic problems in the past few years, perhaps this would be a good time to explain that the Bible shows that these problems were expected to occur prior to the great tribulation. Those outside the Bible have sometimes referred to a time such as this as a time of transition or chaos. …
There will be a generation that will experience end-time events, beginning with “sorrows,” including the Great Tribulation, heavenly signs, and finally the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:5-34). …
Mark recorded the same account of this time from his perspective:
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” 5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit…” (Mark 13:3–11).
Thus, in both Matthew and Mark it is clear that a time called “the beginning of sorrows” precedes the Great Tribulation.
Notice that in Mark’s account he uses the term troubles. Troubles would seem to include economic and political problems, in addition to those specifically mentioned, such as wars, famines, natural disasters, and pestilences. …
Odd weather patterns result in food shortages and natural disasters. Matthew 24:7 The world is actually in a berserk transition, as the real age of peace is not yet here. It may be a period of chaos. It is the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:8 (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009)
We are seeing odd weather patterns and natural disasters.
Furthermore, much higher heat is prophesied. The following prophecy is expected to be fulfilled with the next decade:
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelation 16:8-9)
People should repent of their sins.
Extreme weather should be a wake-up call to repent, but also to support the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Weather and other warnings from the Bible are going out, but many will ignore them.
The Bible shows that weird, severe, and odd weather patterns are part of the warning messages that God gives.
Are you paying attention to those messages?
Some items of interest may include the following:
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
Earthquakes and Bible Prophecy This article has historical, technical, and biblical information about earthquakes. It also show what Jesus taught about earthquakes and how the Bible describes “the big one” (as well as when it can be expected).
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? Here is a link to a related sermon: Christians and the Environment (there is also a YouTube video available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy, one titled Will Pollution lead to the End?, and one called COP 27 and Solving Climate Change).
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Will certain English-speaking nations that refuse to repent be destroyed? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.