Besides France, more and more countries in southern Europe are plagued by wildfires, such as Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
Firefighters are deployed en masse to contain the fires caused by high temperatures. Thousands of hectares of forest have been destroyed in these countries since last week, many have been chased from their homes by fire and several aid workers have died in the flames.
It is the second heat wave this year to ravage parts of southwestern Europe for weeks. Scientists blame climate change and predict more frequent and intense bouts of extreme weather, such as heat waves and drought.
France
In many departments of France, the weather services have declared code red because of the heat. Météo France predicts temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius in parts of southern France on Sunday. New heat records are expected for Monday. “The heat is increasing. The heat wave is spreading across the country,” according to the weather agency.
In the Gironde department, surrounding Bordeaux, firefighters are trying to control two wildfires that have devoured nearly 11,000 hectares (15,400 foot drop fields) since Tuesday. The wildfires have led to the evacuation of more than 14,000 people, including tourists. Seven emergency shelters have been set up to receive evacuees.
Spain
The Spanish authorities report about 20 forest fires in several parts of the country, from the south to Galicia in the extreme northwest. A fire in the Mijas Mountains, near the southern coastal city of Malaga, has so far destroyed about 2,000 hectares of land. The fire forced just over 3,000 people to flee their homes, but about 2,000 of them have since returned.
In Spain, the mercury rises above 40 degrees. A 60-year-old street sweeper was killed on the job in the Spanish capital Madrid as a result of heat stroke.
The battle against the flames has also claimed the lives of a number of aid workers, including a pilot who died when his plane crashed in northern Portugal. In Greece, two aid workers were killed when their helicopter fell into the sea.
Portugal
In Portugal, it is being examined whether the state of emergency, which applies for a week, will be extended because of the heat. In the country, the mercury rose to 47 degrees last week, but the temperature is expected to slowly decrease slightly next week.
Forest fires are also reported in Italy, including in Sicily, near Florence in Tuscany, near the seaside resort of Bibione and in the Abruzzo region. In Greece, 119 forest fires were reported within 24 hours on Sunday, including near the tourist resort of Rethymnon in Crete.