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Forest fires rage in scorching southwestern Europe – Top Stories News – Report by AFR

Southwest Europe on Saturday entered the sixth day of a summer heatwave that has sparked devastating wildfires as parts of the continent braced for new temperature records early next week.

Firefighters in France, Portugal and Spain, as well as Greece, have been battling wildfires that have ravaged thousands of hectares of land and killed several firefighters since the start of the week.

“The fire is still not under control,” said Ronan Leaustic, an official in Arcachon in the southwestern French region of Gironde, where firefighters have been struggling to put out two wildfires that have engulfed 9,000 hectares (22,2000 acres) since Tuesday.

Meteo France said temperatures will range between 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and 40 degrees Celsius in southern France on Saturday, with new heat records expected on Monday.

Authorities in the French Alps have urged climbers hoping to scale Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain, to postpone their trip because of repeated rockfalls caused by “extraordinary climatic conditions” and “drought”.

The call comes after earlier this month a section of Italy’s largest Alpine glacier gave way, throwing ice and rock down the mountain and killing 11 people in a disaster officials blame on climate change.

In Portugal, the Meteorological Institute forecast temperatures of up to 42°C and thermometer readings should not drop below 40°C until next week.

– “Extreme Vigilance” –

However, civil defense used a slight drop in temperature after a July record of 47C on Thursday to try to stamp out one last major fire in the north of the country.

“The risk of fire remains very high,” warned civil defense chief Andre Fernandes at a lunchtime briefing.

“This is a weekend of extreme vigilance.”

He was speaking after an air tanker fighting fires in northern Portugal crashed on Friday, killing its pilot.

A day earlier, two people had been killed when a fire-fighting helicopter crashed into the sea off Greece.

In Spain, the national weather agency maintained various levels of alert across the country, warning of up to 44C in some regions.

Dozens of wildfires continued to rage in different parts of the country.

– UK Crisis Session –

A fire in the south prompted authorities to cordon off a section of a key highway between Madrid and the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.

The fires have scorched thousands of hectares in Spain’s Extremadura region.

In Greece, civil defense rushed to put out the flames that were raging on the Mediterranean island of Crete.

Farther north, people braced themselves for unseasonably warm weather as well.

In the UK, a crisis committee of government ministers met later on Saturday after the state weather agency first issued a “red” extreme heat warning, warning it was at “risk of life”.

The Met Office said temperatures in southern England could surpass 40C for the first time on Monday or Tuesday.

Mayor Sadiq Khan advised Londoners not to use public transport on these days unless “absolutely necessary”. National rail operators also warned passengers to avoid travel.

Some schools in southern England told parents they would remain closed during the heatwave early next week.

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