More than 800 firefighters battled two wildfires in the region outside Bordeaux in southwest France, according to the regional emergency service.
Firefighters extinguish a house on fire during a wildfire that broke out in Arles, in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region of southern France, July 7, 2022.
About 6,500 people have been evacuated from campgrounds and villages in the forested area. The number of injuries is unclear. The two fires have destroyed more than 1,800 hectares (4,400 acres) of terrain, the emergency service said.
Firefighters extinguish a house on fire during a wildfire that broke out in Arles, in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region of southern France, July 7, 2022.
The regional administration banned activity in forested areas at risk. Several regions in southern France are on fire alert because of hot, dry weather and high winds. Wildfires swept through the Gard region in southeast France last week.
A French farmer, driving his tractor, works in his field in Remouille near Nantes, as a heat wave hits France, July 12, 2022.
European Union officials issued a warning last week that climate change is behind the extremely dry and hot summer so far on the continent, urging local authorities to brace for wildfires.
An Indian rhino is sprayed with water during the second heat wave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2022.
Cayetano Torres, spokesperson for Spain’s national weather forecaster, said that the “unusual” heat wave and lack of rainfall in recent months have created ideal circumstances for fires.
An Indian rhino is sprayed with water during the second heat wave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2022.
Spain’s second heat wave in less than a month and the year’s first for neighboring Portugal is expected to last at least until the weekend, weather forecasters said Tuesday.
A gray seal eats a fish popsicle during the second heat wave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2022.
Meteorologists said an overheated mass of air and warm African winds are driving temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula beyond their usual highs.
A panda bear eats a watermelon ice cream on a bamboo stick during the second heat wave of the year at the Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2022.
"It's not as enjoyable as we would like it to be on a holiday but it is what it is. But compared to the desert it is not that bad," she told Reuters.
Tourists cool off in a fountain at the Plaza de Espana (Spain Square) during the second heat wave of the year, in Seville, southern Spain, July 11, 2022.
Lazaro Cun, 37, a builder from Guatemala, stayed in the shade in Madrid's Casa de Campo Park to escape the heat.
"It is hot but at least with a breeze you feel better," he said.
Tourists use hats to cover their heads from the sun as they walk in front of the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) during the second heat wave of the year, in Ronda, southern Spain, July 12, 2022.
Clare Nullis, a World Meteorological Organisation spokesperson, told a United Nations briefing on Tuesday that although the heat wave, Europe’s second this year, was mainly affecting Portugal and Spain, it was likely to spread elsewhere.
General view of Lindley Wood reservoir during the heat wave causing water levels to decline in Otley, Britain, July 13, 2022.
With human-caused climate change triggering droughts, the number of extreme wildfires is expected to increase 30% within the next 28 years, according to a February 2022 U.N. report.
General view of Lindley Wood reservoir during the heat wave causing water levels to decline in Otley, Britain, July 13, 2022.
In southwestern Turkey, a blaze erupted in an area close to the village of Mesudiye, near the Aegean Sea resort of Datça, and was moving in the direction of some homes in the area, according to the provincial governor’s office. It said at least nine water-dropping helicopters and five planes were deployed to battle the fire.
Smoke rises from a wildfire in Datça in Muğla province, Turkey, July 13, 2022.
