Two people have died in a wildfire in Spain’s Catalonia region as Europe continues to grapple with a severe heatwave.
Spanish firefighting authorities said the blaze was “extremely violent and erratic” due to high temperatures and storms, and warned more storms and hot weather were forecast for Wednesday.
The wildfire comes as Europe faces an "exceptional" heatwave, prompting heat alerts throughout the region.
Spain, which experienced its hottest June in more than a century, has been enduring a heatwave since the weekend. On Wednesday, temperatures in parts of the country set to go past 40 degrees Celsius.
Madrid will reach 39C on Wednesday, while Campina Cordobesa in Cordoba will reach 43C, according to Spain’s forecaster Aemet.
Orange heat warning for western inland areas of Portugal, with Castelo Branco forecast to hit 39C and Beja reaching 41C.
Portugal’s weather service confirmed earlier this week that the inland town of Mora experienced the highest temperature ever recorded on the country’s mainland for June, reaching 46.6C on Sunday.
Most of France also remains under an orange heat alert after temperatures around the country soared, but other parts remain under a red alert.
Parts of the Loire Valley have been warned by the French meteorological agency that maximum temperatures could reach 39C in the area, while in nearby Aube and Yonne temperatures could hit 40C.
Paris sizzled on Tuesday with the temperature nearing 40C, and the Eiffel Tower summit remains closed until Thursday for “everyone’s comfort and safety”. Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were told to postpone their visits.
Italy's health ministry said 17 of the country's 27 major cities were experiencing a heatwave.
The hottest city in Italy on Wednesday is Florence, with a forecast of 39. Parts of the popular tourist destination experienced a blackout on Tuesday after temperatures reached 38C.
But the worst of Italy’s heatwave will peak on Friday according to forecaster il Meteo, with temperatures in Rome and Naples reaching 39C and 38C respectively.
More northern parts of Europe have not escaped the heatwave.
In Germany, extreme heat warnings remain in place for large swathes of the country. National forecaster DWD expects temperatures to reach 39C in Berlin, Hanover and Colone, while Frankfurt will reach 40C.
Switzerland and Austria also have extreme heat warnings, as do Belgium and the Netherlands.
Vienna will reach 33C on Wednesday, as will the Belgian capital Brussels. In Switzerland, top temperatures will hit 34C in Geneva and 33C in Zurich, while in the Netherlands, temperatures could reach up to 37C in the southeast and east, according to the country’s national forecaster.
The abnormally hot weather "is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress" with temperatures more typical of July and August, said Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
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