Forest fires rage in scorching southwestern Europe

Firefighters battled to contain wildfires that swept across south-west Europe on Sunday as a heatwave showed no sign of abating and Britain is poised to set new temperature records in the coming week.

Flames raging in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain have destroyed thousands of acres of land since last week, driving dozens from their homes and killing several responders.

It’s the second heatwave in weeks to sweep parts of south-west Europe. Scientists blame climate change and predict more frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather events such as heat waves and droughts.

Firefighters in the southwestern French region of Gironde struggled to control two wildfires that have engulfed nearly 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) since Tuesday.

The forest fires have forced more than 14,000 people – residents and tourists combined – to leave. Seven emergency shelters were set up to accommodate evacuees.

Meteo France forecast temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius in parts of southern France for Sunday, and new heat records are expected for Monday.

“The heat is increasing. The heat wave is spreading across the country,” the weather agency said.

France on Sunday put 37 departments, mainly along the Atlantic coast, on alert

Authorities in the French Alps have urged climbers on their way to 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, killing 11 people – a disaster officials blame on climate change.

Spanish authorities reported around 20 wildfires still spiraling out of control in different parts of the country, from the south to Galicia in the far north-west, where blazes have destroyed around 4,500 hectares of land.

Another fire burning in the Mijas mountains inland from the southern coastal city of Malaga has so far destroyed about 2,000 hectares of land, local officials said.

The fire forced the evacuation of just over 3,000 people, but around 2,000 people have since been allowed to return to their homes.

“We didn’t stop working all night,” regional agriculture minister Carmen Crespo told Spanish public television about efforts to put out the blazes.

Spain’s national weather agency AEMET forecast “significantly high” temperatures for most of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean on Sunday.

The mercury was expected to reach 42°C in the northern city of Logrono and 40°C in Madrid and the southern city of Seville.

A 60-year-old street cleaner in Madrid died on Saturday after suffering heat stroke at work the previous day, local officials said.

Fighting the blazes has also claimed the lives of a number of responders, including a pilot who was killed when his plane crashed in northern Portugal and two who died in Greece when their helicopter crashed into the sea.

In Portugal, almost the entire country remains on high alert for wildfires, despite a slight drop in temperature, after hitting 47C on Thursday – a record for the month of July.

Only one major fire burned in the north on Sunday.

The Lisbon government was due to decide on Sunday whether to extend a week-long state of emergency.

In Greece, civil defense had brought a forest fire that had been raging on the Mediterranean island of Crete under control since Friday.

In the UK, the Weather Bureau issued a ‘red’ warning for extreme heat for the first time, warning of ‘danger to life’.

The Met Office said temperatures in southern England could surpass 40C for the first time on Monday or Tuesday, prompting some schools to say they would remain closed next week.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan advised people in the capital to only use public transport if it was “absolutely necessary”. National rail operators also warned passengers to avoid travel.