Tourists urged to rearrange travel plans as France wildfires rage

• Tourists are being urged to avoid the Gironde region near Bordeaux, France, due to ongoing wildfires that have been raging since Saturday.
• Sophie Brocas, the prefect of Gironde, advised tourists already in the area to consider alternative destinations, following the evacuation of approximately 220,000 people in south-west France.
• The UK Foreign Office has issued a warning for British tourists in affected areas, advising them to follow local authority instructions and check with their accommodation or travel providers.
• Despite Bordeaux airport remaining operational, its hotel zone has been evacuated, and a flexible cancellation policy for SNCF rail services to the region is in place until 31 July.
• The fires have caused a “pyrocumulonimbus” – a giant fire thunderstorm – and have already burned 115,000 hectares across France this year, with smoke affecting Bordeaux city.

IN FULL

Tourists warned ‘do not come’ to Gironde prefect as wildfires rage