Due to extensive forest wildfires, air quality in Mediterranean regions was particularly compromised during the summer of 2025, according to analysis by the METEO unit of the National Observatory of Athens.
Read: Major fire in Zakynthos: Suffocating moments with smoke from the fire “covering” the sky – 112 sounded for evacuation of settlements (Video)
In fact, based on preliminary data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), processed by the METEO scientific team, the most polluted regions in Europe regarding air quality were the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), as well as the Balkans, with Greece at the epicenter.
Warning bells for Spain and Portugal too
The highest concentrations of PM₁₀ particulate matter (particles with a diameter smaller than 10 micrometers), which are linked to forest fires, were recorded in Spain, Portugal and throughout Greece.
“The extensive wildfires that broke out this year contributed decisively to atmospheric pollution, increasing risks to public health,” meteo.gr characteristically notes.
See the relevant map:
